Play Our Music
by shuisfull
Summary: Three years after the end of Camp Rock, Shane and Mitchie have lost touch and are still trying to get over one another but fate has other plans. Total Smitchie. Minor Naitlyn and Jeggy. So far, all characters are property of Disney!
1. Chapter 1

Mitchie Torres admitted defeat. She had just spent the past three hours practicing a piece for her Classical Guitar assessment tomorrow and her fingers bled from it. This was the one class she just did not like no matter how hard she tried. The music didn't speak to her at all but it was required and after this semester, she was done with it.

Three years ago, Mitchie had spent her summer at the prestigious music camp, Camp Rock. It was there that she had finally found her voice and allowed herself to connect with her music with out being ashamed of it. She had also met Shane Gray from Connect 3. They sang together at Final Jam and kissed the next day but nothing more came from it. Oh, sure, they had exchanged phone numbers and talked on the phone for a few months, but the distance was too great for the both of them. Without ever even dating, they ended things as amicably as they possibly could in spite of how hurt they both were. But Shane didn't know that Mitchie had fallen in love with him and had only recently recovered from the heartache of not even speaking to him.

Now, at nineteen and about to start her second year at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Mitchie was struggling for the first time since that fateful summer with her music. She had always dreamed of going to school there and was awarded a full scholarship due to her talent and passion. Her parents were still back in California and their business were stable, but not thriving.

"I give up!" she declared and put her guitar back in its case and put it by her desk. She lived alone, off campus and away from the noise of the other students but still near enough to walk to class and the grocery store. Her apartment consisted of one main room that she slept and did everything else in, and a kitchen.

She flopped on her bed and turned on the TV just as "Entertainment Tonight" was ending.

"And in other news, the band Connect 3 has announced that they are going on hiatus until further notice." Mitchie sat up and with wide eyes, stared at the TV. "The band has issued a statement that reads "There are things that we need to do together and as individuals. Now feels like the most appropriate time to accomplish those goals before we continue on in our careers." No word as to what the boys will be doing, but they have promised at least one more album."

Mitchie shrugged. Good for them. They deserved a break. Connect 3 had released three albums in the past three years and had been touring for the past two. She thought nothing more of it as she got her guitar again and thought about what she would play tomorrow. Berklee had a showcase at the beginning of each year in which each student got to go up on stage and had two minutes to do whatever they did best. It started at eleven in the morning and went until four in the afternoon. She was definitely going to do one of her own songs, it wasn't mandatory but it was encouraged. She strummed the beginnings to various songs she had written over the years, smiling when she came to an all too familiar one.

THE NEXT DAY

"Guys, we're actually here!"

Shane couldn't help but smile at the look on Jason's face when they pulled up in front of the building. Nate looked just as excited but was grinning from ear to ear instead of bouncing up and down in his seat like Jason was. The chauffeur opened the limo door for them and handed them each their guitars as they strode into the building, barely able to contain themselves. Shane ignored the audible gasps that surrounded them as they made their way through the lobby and concert hall until they finally found their seats in the audience. Once they got in though, everyone was too nervous to pay them any attention. Because of their background Nate, Jason, and Shane had all been placed in the sophomore class.

Shane took his guitar out of its case and wondered what he would do when it was his turn. Part of him wanted to just do a Connect 3 song that everyone knew and would be a big crowd pleaser but another part was telling him to play something more meaningful. As he tuned his instrument, humming the choices to himself, he heard Nate call him from the row behind him.

"Shane! Come look at this!" Nate was standing about twenty feet from him, staring at a seat.

"What?" He climbed over the seats and several people until he reached his friend. Nate just pointed at the chair next to his, which was marked "Nathaniel Thomas," as Jason came over to see what all the fuss was about. Shane looked at the faded blue seat that had a piece of masking tape on the back with a name on it. "Michelle Torres."

"Wasn't Mitchie's real name Michelle?" Nate asked, sitting in his seat. Shane was confused. He couldn't believe that it was possible for her to be here, too.

"Mitchie! I miss her! She made me the best birdhouse!" Jason exclaimed before heading back to his mark a few seats away.

"Shane, is it possible?" Nate asked, very seriously.

"I guess it is. I mean, I know that this was her dream school but she didn't think she could afford it." Shane ruffled his hair, trying to make sense of this. "Dude, Torres isn't exactly a rare name and neither is Michelle. It's probably not her."

"But it could be."

"But it probably isn't."

"Come on, man. You think that it is more likely that there is another girl the same age as Mitchie with the same name going to her dream school."

"Yes. I do," Shane stated matter-of-factly.

"You just don't want to get your hopes up."

"Maybe. Maybe I just don't want to get crushed again."

"Dude, you crushed each other." Nate sighed. They had had this conversation many times before.

"I know that, but it doesn't change anything. She didn't love me back."

"You never told her you loved her."

"She knew."

"No, she didn't. She never saw you again so how was she supposed to know?"

"Whatever." Shane went back to his seat, missing Mitchie's entrance from the other end of the row.

"Omigod! Mitchie!"

Mitchie looked at the guy in front of her in complete disbelief. "Jason?" She set down her guitar just in time to be swept up in his arms.

"You made me the best birdhouse!" he said once he finally put her down. She giggled, glad to see that all the success he had had hadn't turned him into a jerk. He was still goofy, loveable Jason.

"I'm glad you liked it. What are you doing here?" she said, making her way through the seats to her own. She was shocked to see Nate sitting next to her own spot.

"We're students now." Nate stated simply. He kept glancing at a guy with straight, dark hair a row in front of them.

"No way." She sat down next to Nate with a thump. "He's here, too?"

"Yup." Nate took out his own guitar and began fooling around on it. "How do you feel about that?"

"It's… um… Jesus, Nate, I have no idea. I haven't seen him since he kissed me before you guys left Camp Rock and I haven't spoken to him since Thanksgiving of that year. I'm… very overwhelmed." She nervously played with her bangs, unsure of how the day was going to go.


	2. Chapter 2

Soon, the concert hall was filled with all the students and faculty. The dean of the school stood up and welcomed them all as the first row of freshmen were led by a faculty member into the wings to wait for their turn. The freshmen went first so they weren't intimidated by the work of the upper level students. After an hour and a half, the freshmen were down and the sophomore class began. It soon became clear to Shane and the other guys that there was a standard procedure for events like this. When it was their turn everyone went up, introduced themselves, gave the title of their song and what it was about. Soon it was Shane's turn to wait in offstage.

He held his guitar nervously, watching the girl ahead of him step into the light with her violin. He was more nervous now than he ever had been. These people knew music and what was good and what wasn't. As applause rang out for the girl who introduced her self as "Katiana Fuller", he changed his mind at the last minute about his piece. The stage manager whispered for him to go.

The moment he took the stage, the entire crowd erupted in applause for him and he was embarrassed. What if he bit it? What if his voice cracked? And to top it all off, Mitchie might be in the crowd. He had to go for it.

"Um, hi, I'm Shane Gray and this is about the one that got away. It's called "I Gotta Find You."

_Every time I think I'm closer to the heart_

_Of what it means to know just who I am_

_I think I've found a better place to start_

_But no one ever seems to understand_

_I need to try to get to where you are_

_Could it be you're not that far_

_You're the voice I hear inside my head_

_The reason that I'm singing_

_I need to find you_

_I gotta find you_

_You're the missing piece I need_

_The song inside of me_

_I need to find you_

_I gotta find you_

_Oh yeah, yeah, yeah_

_You're the remedy I'm searching hard to find_

_To fix the puzzle that I see inside_

_Painting all my dreams the color of your smile_

_When I find you it will be alright_

_I need to try to get to where you are_

_Could it be you're not that far_

_You're the voice I hear inside my head_

_That reason that I'm singing_

_I need to find you_

_I gotta find you_

_You're the missing piece I need_

_The song inside of me_

_I need to find you_

_I gotta find you_

_Been feeling lost, can't find the words to say_

_Spending all my time, stuck in yesterday_

_Where you are is where I wanna be_

_Oh next you_

_And you next to me_

_Oh, I need to find you_

_Yeah_

_You're the voice I hear inside my head_

_The reason that I'm singing_

_I need to find you_

_I gotta find you_

_You're the missing piece I need_

_The song inside of me_

_I need to find you_

_I gotta find you_

_You're the voice I hear inside my head_

_The reason that I'm singing_

_I need to find you_

_I gotta find you_

_You're the missing piece I need_

_The song inside of me_

_I need to find you_

_I gotta find you_

_Yeah, yeah, I gotta find you_

The entire audience broke in applause, some of them standing up as Shane made his way off stage. Mitchie felt a tear slide down her cheek. Nate took her hand, watching her. "You okay?"

She sniffled, nodding a little before shaking her head. "I'm the one that got a way?" she asked.

Nate didn't have time to answer as it was their turn to wait back stage and they wouldn't be allowed to talk. He made a quick decision and changed his song. When he finally went on stage, he got the same reaction as Shane had.

"Hi, I'm Nate Thomas and this is a song is by a friend of mine who never told a girl how he really felt and lost her. It's called "Hello Beautiful.""

_Hello beautiful_

_How's it going?_

_I hear it's wonderful in California_

_I've been missing you_

_It's true_

_But tonight_

_I'm gonna fly_

_Yeah tonight_

_I'm gonna fly_

'_cause I could comb across the world,_

_And see everything_

_And never be satisfied if I couldn't see those eyes_

_Hello beautiful_

_It's been a long time_

_Since my phone's been rung_

_And you've been on that line_

_I've been missing you_

_It's true_

_But tonight_

_I'm gonna fly_

_Yeah tonight_

_I'm gonna fly_

_Oh yeah_

'_Cause I could comb across the world_

_See everything and never be satisfied_

_If I couldn't see those eyes_

As he sang, Nate kept making eye contact with Mitchie, letting her know that Shane wrote it about her. The crowd went insane as Nate finished and he went off stage. Mitchie was biting back the tears as she stepped into the light.

"Wow, I have to follow that," she joked, earning a laugh from the audience. She cleared her throat before speaking again. "I'm Mitchie Torres and this about accepting who I am. "This is me.""

_I've always been the kind of girl that hid my face_

_So afraid to tell the world what I've got to say_

_But I have this dream, bright inside of me_

_I'm gonna let it show, it's time, to let you know_

_To let you know,_

_This is real, this is me_

_I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be, now_

_Gonna let the light shine on me_

_Now I found who I am, there's no way to hold it in_

_No more hiding who I want to be_

_This is me_

_Do you know what it's like_

_To feel so in the dark_

_To dream about a life_

_When you're the shining star_

_Even though it seems, like you're to far away_

_I have to believe in myself_

_It's the only way_

_This is real, this is me_

_I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be now_

_Gonna let the light shine on me_

_Now I found who I am_

_There's no way to hold it in_

_No more hiding who I want to be_

_This is me_

Mitchie half expected Shane to start singing with her. She finished her song and got a ton on applause, more than any who wasn't already an international recording star had gotten so far. She went back to her seat and could feel Shane's eyes on her. She sat next to Nate and watched the rest of the performances in a daze. When it finally ended, Mitchie grabbed her guitar and bolted out the door before Shane could reach her.

They had gotten out much later than they were supposed to. It was dark and there was a slight chill. Fall was definitely in the air. Mitchie walked the few blocks to her apartment in stunned silence. As she turned the corner, a long black limo pulled next to her and a window rolled down. Nate stuck his head out the window

"Mitchie, want to grab something to eat?" Nate asked.

"Thanks, but I really can't afford it." She kept walking but Nate yelled back.

"It's on us. Come on." Mitchie considered it for a moment but then nodded. A door opened and she climbed in. She slid next to Shane, the only available seat near the guys. They stared at one another for a moment until Mitchie felt a blush creep up her cheeks.

"Oh, shoot!" Nate said as he looked at his watch.

"What?" Shane asked. He was suspicious. Nate cursed all the time and only said things like 'shoot' when he was lying.

"Jason and I have to go have lunch with our grandma in twenty minutes." Jason looked confused.

"Nana? Nana's in an old folks' home!"

"So?"

"So, it smells like old people!"

"Dude, I called her this morning. We're going."

Jason slumped in his seat, sulking. "But Nana smells like old lady!"

"She is an old lady," Shane said. He couldn't not look at Mitchie. She had changed so much since he had last seen her. Her hair was longer now, her bangs were grown out and it hung in loose waves around her face and shoulders. She had only been sixteen when they were together, and though she was still thin, she now had soft curves that gave her a womanly figure. She was wearing a soft green dress and gold flats. As the limo pulled in front of the hotel to drop off Jason and Nate, Shane noticed her necklace. It was gold and had several charms on it including a piece of jade shaped like a guitar pick and a tiny engraved gold heart. From where he sat, he couldn't read it but he knew that it said "Shane loves Mitchie." He had given it to her for her birthday, just a week before they stopped speaking.

"So… um… how have you been?" she asked shyly.

"Good. Busy." He shifted in his seat to make talking to her easier. "You look good, Mitchie." With out even thinking, he reached out and touched a strand of her hair.

"Please don't, Shane." She brushed his hand away.

"I'm sorry." The limo slowed down again in front of a restaurant. Shane opened the door on his side and offered her his hand after he got out. Mitchie bit her lip, unsure if she should take his hand. Mentally smacking her self when she saw Shane giving her a strange look, she took his hand. That old spark shot up both of their arms and coursed through their bodies. It was as if no time had passed.

'This is familiar. I know this guy,' Mitchie's heart told her. She allowed him to take her hand in his and lead her in to the restaurant.

After they were seated and handed their menus, they sat in silence, even after they had ordered until their food arrived.

"What made you guys choose Berklee?" Mitchie asked as she dug into her chicken salad.

"We had a concert in Boston last summer and we were already talking about taking a break for school. I remembered you talking about it and suggested we check it out."

She twirled her fork around, wanting desperately to ask if he still had feelings for her. "Did you know that I went here?"

"Not until I saw you on stage. Honestly, I was shocked to see you." Shane mentally slapped himself. "Not that I didn't think you were good enough! I just remembered you saying how you didn't think you could affor—I mean—" He could not keep his foot out of his mouth.

"Shane, it's okay," Mitchie giggled. "I'm here on scholarship. Otherwise, I couldn't afford it."

"Good for you, Mitch, I knew you could do it!" Shane smiled at her. He was so proud of her for achieving her goals.

"Thanks, Shane." She sipped her coke to give her time to formulate another question. "Are the three of you living together?"

"Yeah, we are. We're in an apartment near campus, The Greenstone."

Mitchie dropped her fork. "That's where I live!"

"No way!"

"Yeah, I've been living there since January. I had roommate issues and decided to move out."

"What happened?"

"She was kind of slutty. I didn't mind it at first, but when it was every night and almost always a different guy, I had to leave. That and she stole my song book and tried to pass off my work as her own."

"And she still goes here?"

"I don't think so, I didn't see her today."

Shane finished his meal quickly because he wanted to look at her with out interruption. She now had a small stud in her nose. "When did you get your nose pierced?"

Mitchie looked confused for a second and touched her nose. "Oh, that," she said. "It's magnetic. I still haven't even gotten my ears pierced. I just like how it looks."

Shane laughed. He had forgotten her phobia of needles. As they sat there talking he realized how much he had forgotten. Like how she chewed her lip when she was nervous or how she never touched her hair unless is was in her face or how wonderful her laugh was. "I've missed you," he blurted out.

"I—I've missed you, too, Shane." She reached out and laid her hand on top of his.

"You still have my necklace." He turned his hand over so it held hers.

She nodded. "I wear it everyday."

"Really?" He took the charms in his other hand and flipped through them until he found the heart. "Do you want to go home?"

"Yeah, that'd be great." Shane paid for both of their meals, much to Mitchie's protest, and they left hand in hand and climbed back into the limo.


	3. Chapter 3

They sat in the limo, still holding hands, silently daring the other to speak first. The limo swerved and Mitchie fell into Shane's lap.

"Um, hello there," Shane said when she didn't sit up right away. She started to sit up but he held her down gently. "No, it's okay. I was just teasing you."

"Oh," she relaxed into his lap. She had forgotten how comfortable he was. They continued talking about relationships that didn't work out, about songs they had written, friends from camp they still talked to. Soon the limo pulled in front of their building. Mitchie sat up just as the door opened. The chauffeur handed them their guitar cases and carried the other two in his hands, following them inside. Shane pressed the button for the elevator. The doors soon opened.

"We can take the other guitars up, Scott, thank you," Shane told the chauffeur. He handed them each a case, tipped his hat and left them as the doors closed. "What floor are you on?"

"The ninth."

"So are we!" Shane hit "9" on the panel. They arrived at their floor. Mitchie followed him down the hall, not just to give him Jason's guitar but because she lived at that end of the hall as well. Shane pulled out his key and unlocked the door to his apartment. "Do you want to come in?"

"Let me put my guitar away and change and I'll be right over." She handed him the guitar in her hand and turned around. Her apartment was right across from theirs. She unlocked her door and went inside, locking the door behind her. She leaned against the door for a moment. "I can't believe I'm falling for him again."

Mitchie put her guitar next to her desk and went into the closet where she undressed and threw on a pair of loose fitting jeans and a black tank top. Grabbing her keys and her cell phone she went into the hall and knocked on Shane's door.

"Hey, Mitch." Shane, too, had changed out of his dressier clothes and into more comfortable ones. He waved her inside. Mitchie gasped at their apartment.

"So you guys are why I was woken at 7 a.m. everyday for the past month." The kitchen was completely redone as was the living room.

"Sorry about that. This is actually our first day in here. It was all Nate's doing. He couldn't stand the kitchen and demanded we redo it. He's gotten into baking ever since he and Caitlyn broke up a couple of months ago." He opened the fridge and got out two sodas and handed Mitchie one. They went into the living room and sat on the couch facing each other.

"Yeah, Caitlyn told me about that. Granted, I've only heard her side of the story, but did Nate really cheat on her with one of the dancers from the tour you were on?"

"Unfortunately, yes, he did. I wish I could tell you that it was just a one time deal but it had been going on for a while. Cait surprised him by coming to visit him on his birthday and caught him in his room on the bus with the other girl and they were both naked." Shane took a swig from his soda and shook his head. "Jason and I had to lock Cait in my room until she had calmed down enough for Nate to get a safe distance from her. Otherwise, she would have killed him." He chuckled to himself, remembering the sight of Caitlyn straddling Nate and pummeling him with anything she could reach. "At first, he didn't feel too bad about it until she mailed him a box with everything he had ever given her in it. He's been baking ever since. I think it was the CD of songs he wrote for her that really did it."

"What was on the CD?" Mitchie stretched out her legs next to Shane's.

"That song that Nate did tonight, "Hello Beautiful." Actually, we both wrote it. It's about you and Caitlyn. I don't know what else he wrote for her, we tend to keep songs about girls to ourselves unless they aren't very good."

Mitchie didn't ask what he meant by 'not very good.' She didn't think it was any of her business. She drained her drink and set the empty can on the coffee table. "Want to play a game?"

Shane laughed softly. "Sure. What do you want to play?"

"Twenty questions."

"Great! I'll start." Shane thought for a moment. "What's your hardest class?"

"That's easy! Classical guitar. I just can't connect with it." She drummed her fingers together. "Best show you guys played on your last tour?"

"Definitely Hershey, it was our first stadium." He finished his drink and got up to get them each another. "Best date?" he yelled from the kitchen.

"No good dates, just mediocre ones."

"Why?" he asked as he handed her a new soda.

"Hey, it's my turn to ask the questions!" Mitchie giggled as he plopped down next to her.

"Sorry, fire away." He tentatively put his arm around her, praying she wouldn't swat it away. Instead, she relaxed into him and lean against his chest.

"Any major girlfriends?" She really didn't want to hear the answer if it was anything but 'no.'

"No, not really. The girls I meet on tour are so fake. I can't trust them."

"Can you trust me?"

"Hey, it's my turn to ask the questions!" he teased. They both laughed. Soon, they stopped counting the questions and were just firing them back and forth. They were also lying side by side on the couch, noses mere centimeters apart. As time went on, they were asking more and more personal questions.

"Are you still a virgin?" Shane asked, waiting for her to smack him for asking such a thing. Mitchie shifted a little and shook her head.

"Does that matter to you?" She refused to meet his gaze.

"No, not really, I was just wondering." Something about the look on Mitchie face told him that there was more to the story. "Are you okay?"

"I, um, I… God, Shane…" She sat up and curled up into a ball. "I might as well tell you now, you'll find out sooner or later." Shane sat up as well and watched her breathe deeply before finally beginning to speak. "I was raped after my senior prom."

"Oh my God, Mitchie, I'm—"

"No, please, don't say anything until I've finished talking. It wasn't my date, it was his friend, Josh. We were at an after-party and I was drinking and I guess I drank too much because the next thing I knew, I was in a bedroom and Josh was on top of me. I screamed but he put something in my mouth so I couldn't and I couldn't fight him off because he was so much bigger than me." A single tear slid down her cheek. "It felt like hours but he finally finished just as my friend Sierra knocked on the door looking for me. She and a couple other people came in and found me. The guys wrestled him to the ground and Sierra called the police and an ambulance. During the trial, they found out that he had done the same thing to a couple other girls and they came and testified against him. He's not supposed to get out for another ten years." She was sobbing now. "At the hospital, after they did the rape kit, the doctor wouldn't give me the morning after pill so I had to go to another hospital to find a doctor who would give it to me."

Shane wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his lap and just held her, letting her cry. He couldn't believe that some guy could hurt any girl like this, let alone Mitchie. He wanted to say something to her, something that could comfort her but he knew he couldn't tell her what she needed to hear. Mitchie wrapped every limb she had around him, trying to get as close as possible. Shane buried his face in her hair and breathed deeply. It was different than it had been, she must have changed shampoos but the underlying scent was all Mitchie. He began to rock her, letting her cry, hoping that it gave her some type of release. He softly sang "Hello Beautiful" in her ear.

Mitchie soon fell asleep in his arms, her tears leaving dried trails down her cheeks. He carefully extracted himself from her and laid her on the couch, letting her sleep a little longer. He picked up their empty soda cans and went into the kitchen to put them in the recycling bin. It was already midnight.

Jason and Nate came bursting through the door. "Shane, are you home yet?" Nate called.

"Shh! Mitchie's here, she's sleeping on the couch." He came out of the kitchen quickly, hoping to quiet them before Mitchie woke up.

"Really?" Nate said, waggling his eyebrows.

"It's nothing like that. We were just talking and it got really emotional."

"How's she going to get home?" Jason asked. He and Mitchie had a special bond, similar to brothers and sisters.

"She lives right across the hall so when she wakes up, I'll take her over." They went out onto the balcony to talk. "How was your grandmother? I know you weren't with her the whole time."

"Nah, she fell asleep hours ago and we went to a club downtown." Nate stretched his arms and yawned. "That was a big mistake because they were having a karaoke night and dillhole over there wanted to sing "The Rainbow Connection." By the end of the first verse, girls were mobbing us and Big Rob had to practically carry us out." Big Rob was their bodyguard.

"Hey, I like "The Rainbow Connection!" And everyone else seemed to like it." Jason sulked from his spot on the floor.

"They liked it because you were singing." Nate pulled out his cell phone and texted someone. Immediately, his phone beeped. "Damn it! How did she figure how to block my calls and texts?"

"Caitlyn?" Shane asked. He stared out at the city, deep in thought.

"Yeah, I don't know how she did it."

"All you have to do is call the company and give them the number and they block it for you," Shane told his cousin. His mother was Nate's mother's sister and Nate's father was Jason's mother's brother.

"Really? How can you unblock it?"

"The person who blocked it has to unblock you. And I don't think that Caitlyn is going to do that any time soon." Shane got up and went inside. Mitchie was starting to wake up. He sat next to her and brushed her hair out of her face. "Hello, beautiful."

"Hey," she whispered. "How long have I been asleep?"

"Not long, maybe half an hour, hour tops." Mitchie sat up and rested her head on Shane's shoulder. "Can I walk you home?"

Mitchie bit her lip. "Um, could you stay with me tonight?"

He smiled at her. "Sure, I'd be happy to. Give me a second." He went to the balcony door and slid it open. "Hey, guys, I'm staying with Mitchie tonight. See you in the morning." He left before they had the chance to say anything. He went into his room and grabbed a pair of pajama pants and met her by the door. They went across the hall, into her apartment.

"It's nothing much, nothing like you guys have but it's big enough for just me." Shane looked around at her one room apartment. It was small but homey and much more comfortable than his apartment. It looked like someone actually lived there.

"No, it's great, it really suits you." Mitchie smiled and went into the bathroom to change. Shane took the opportunity to change as well. He pulled off his skinny jeans and t-shirt and pulled on his pajama pants. He laid down on the small couch to go to sleep.

"What are you doing?"

He bolted upright and saw Mitchie standing behind the couch in a pair of shorts and a tank top.

"I was just going to go to sleep." He looked at her with a confused look on his face.

"You can sleep in the bed with me, Shane."

"Are you sure? I'll be fine on the couch." Mitchie got into bed and laughed at him.

"Shane, just get in bed." She pulled back the other side of the covers and beckoned him over. He crawled in next to her and laid his head on the pillow. Mitchie snuggled next to him and turned out the light. Shane, who had been so sleepy just a few minutes, became painfully awake with Mitchie's warm body pressed against his. He felt like such a pervert, getting turned on by a girl who had just told him her deepest, darkest secret, but he couldn't help it. She was just so soft and she fit so well in his arms.

Mitchie couldn't sleep well either. Her mind was swirling with thoughts. She hated Josh for what he did to her; that she couldn't act like a normal teenager when she was in bed with someone she really liked. She really wanted to roll over and lay one on Shane but she was too scared of what he would think of her. 'Fuck it,' she thought. She turned over and kissed Shane with everything she had, hoping that he wouldn't push her away.


	4. Chapter 4

I want to thank everyone that has been reading and give lots of love to xxflamingoxx, koalagirl07, idestroyuall, helenaxgal, omg444888, magster488, xAEMxHawksxCheerleaderx, JUST.like.KINDERGARTENx3, Twilightfan315, i-love-emmett-cullen, Yashie-And-Kags-Forever and xFender'sGirlx for reviewing. I'm really surprised by the positive response I've been getting. I just started writing this because I was sick of seeing all the Jonas-cest. 'Cause, I mean, ew. The Jonas Brothers are real people, everyone. It is very different from Weasley-cest. They are FICTIONAL! The Jonas Brothers are not! Sorry. I needed to get that out of my system.

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Shane didn't need to think. He just let his body react. He pulled Mitchie on top of him and kissed her back, fiercely. Even though all that they had done before was just a couple of kisses in front of a lot of other people, this felt familiar and easy to them both. He didn't doubt himself; he seemed to know how she needed to be kissed and was content with that for now. His left hand slid down her leg as his other found its way to her hair. He badly wanted to touch every inch of her but he didn't want to scare her so he moved slowly. He flipped her on to her back and began to kiss her neck. Her hands ran up his abs then gripped his hair and neck as he moved down to her collarbone before he returned to her lips.

"Shane," Mitchie murmured against his lips.

Shane immediately launched himself off of her to the foot of the bed, afraid that he was becoming too aggressive for her. "I'm so sorry, Mitchie, I know I shouldn't push you, I'm sorry—"

Mitchie sat up on her elbows. "Shane, its okay, you just had too much of your weight on me and I couldn't breathe."

Shane moved next to her and kissed her softly, rubbing her lips with his thumb. "I don't think I can keep going tonight, Mitch. I need some more time to process all of this. I'm just so afraid of hurting you or pushing you farther than you're willing to go." He could see her face fall in the moon light that streamed through her window.

"I'm not broken, Shane, just healing." She pushed his hand off her face and laid down, facing away from him. "I understand, but please trust that I won't let you do anything that I'm uncomfortable with."

Shane watched her and sighed. "Can we just sleep? Can I just hold you? I've missed you and I don't know if I can control my self when I'm awake."

"Yeah, let's go to sleep." He lay down on his back and Mitchie snuggled next to him, her head resting on his chest. And for the first night in a long time, Mitchie slept peacefully in the arms of someone she trusted and cared deeply for her.

The next day was Saturday, which meant they had two days to enjoy one another before classes started up. Mitchie woke up to the sound of her cell phone ringing. She stumbled out of bed to the bathroom where she had left her phone in her jeans pocket the night before. Shutting the door, she answered it. It was Caitlyn.

"OH MY GOD! Did you know they were going to Berklee and didn't tell me?!" Mitchie held the phone away from her ear until Caitlyn stopped screaming. "I swear if you knew and didn't say anything, I'm driving up there and kicking your ass!"

"Cait, calm down. We both know that you are not driving all the way from Philly. I found out yesterday and I spent the evening with Shane." 'And the night,' she thought but left that part out. "How did you find out?"

"I turned on the TV and they were running a story about it on The Today Show."

"Oh."

"What about Nate?" Caitlyn demanded.

"I sat next to him at the showcase but he and Jason went to visit their grandmother. We didn't get to talk much."

Caitlyn started speaking softly. "How is he?"

"Shane said that all he does now is bake," Mitchie told her friend. She still didn't really understand what this meant but Caitlyn gasped on the other end of the phone.

"HE'S BAKING!" she shrieked.

"Okay, what does that even mean?" She sat on the floor and inspected her finger nails. They needed to be trimmed before Monday.

"Nate bakes when he feels guilty or sad. He does that and he writes songs. How long has he been baking?" Caitlyn sounded worried.

"I dunno, maybe a month or so."

Mitchie heard Caitlyn breathe deeply. "Can I come visit you Labor Day weekend? I need to talk to Nate and I want to see you and the other guys."

"Yeah, sure thing." Through the door, she could hear Shane call her name. "I gotta go, I'll called you this week and we'll figure everything out."

"Was that Shane?" Caitlyn asked. Mitchie could hear her smirking over the phone line.

"What? I didn't hear you. You're breaking up… Bye, Caitlyn!" She hung up before Cait had a chance to say anything else. She stood up and opened the door. Shane was leaning against the door frame. "Morning." She swallowed and bit her lip. He looked absolutely delicious with his bed head and no shirt. She wanted to lick the crevices of his abs. "That was Caitlyn. She knows you guys are here and she's coming up to visit Labor Day weekend."

He nodded and took her hand in his. "Let's go see what Nate's baked this morning."

They went into the hall and were immediately hit by the smell of chocolate chip muffins. Before they went inside, they kissed one last time, away from the prying eyes of Nate and Jason.

Nate was in the kitchen, taking the last batch of muffins out of the oven and putting in the first of many trays of cookies. Jason was sitting at the counter devouring muffins as soon as they were cooled down.

"Morning, guys," Shane said as he passed the kitchen to his room to grab a t-shirt. Mitchie sat next to Jason and grabbed a muffin before he could get his hands on it. Shane came back in and wrapped his arms around Mitchie. She broke off a piece of her muffin and popped in his mouth before biting into it herself.

"So, you two are together again?" Nate asked as he broke an egg into a bowl.

"We were never officially together in the first place but yes, we are together." Shane sat down and spun Mitchie's barstool so she faced him. "Don't bogart the muffin!" She giggled and broke off another piece, tossing it in the air. He caught it easily in his mouth and smiled at her. He couldn't not smile when he looked at her.

"Oh, Nate, Caitlyn called me this morning."

Nate froze, bowl of cake batter in one hand, wooden spoon in the other. "Does she know I'm here?"

"She knows. She's coming up for a visit Labor Day weekend

"Remind me to wear a cup the whole time she's here." Mitchie looked at him. His joke didn't cover up the nervousness on his face.

"Just don't get caught with naked girls in your bed and you'll be fine," Jason said between bites. They all stared at him. His eyes widened, as if he just heard what he had said. "Was that mean? That was mean. Sorry, man."

Nate set down his bowl and spoon and wiped off his hand on a dish towel. "No, I deserved that." He went to the fridge and got out milk and poured everyone a glass. "I still can't believe I did that to her. What was I thinking?"

"Dunno, Nate, but if she's going to be here, make it up to her before she's over you completely," Mitchie said before draining her glass of milk.

"She's not over me yet?" Nate's face lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Not yet. It takes girls a while to get over guys." She remained silent for a moment before adding, "Even if they do screw us over."

Nate nodded and went back to stirring. "Will you help me?" he asked Mitchie.

She shook her head. "No, you need to do this on your own. I'll give you advice, but you better plan everything yourself."

Nate stopped dead in his tracks. He put the bowl down again and ran out of the kitchen. "I have some calls to make."

"Do you think it'll work?" Shane asked.

Mitchie said, "Yes."

Jason said, "No."

Shane sighed. "This is either going to end with Caitlyn fucking him or castrating him."

"Or both," Jason added. He looked around and said, "You know what this apartment needs? A birdhouse."

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For some reason, I've been really inspired lately to keep writing chapters for this story and have been neglecting my other stories. I'm going to make an effort to work on them but who knows. I might just keep working on this one.

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Oh, and I'm holding auditions! I'm creating a love interest for Jason so submit, submit, submit!


	5. Chapter 5

Okay, I take it back

Okay, I take it back. I'm completely obsessed with this story and can't stop writing for it. In case you were wondering about the whole Nate compulsively baking thing. One, it's very real. I do it. Two, I just thought it was funny for a guy to compulsively make baked goods. I wouldn't bring it up but my friend that edits for me thought that it was a little weird.

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Oh, and forget about the auditions. I've got a little something up my sleeve.

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They weekend ended and Monday came all too soon. Connect 3 spent the weekend being shown around Boston by Mitchie during the day and nights were spent practicing so they didn't make fools of themselves when classes started. Shane spent each night with Mitchie and they went over to the other apartment for breakfast as Nate was still baking up a storm. They had already given each other keys to their apartments, just for emergencies. At least, that's what they were telling themselves.

On Monday, they woke to Mitchie's alarm going off at 7:15. Mitchie jumped in the shower to get ready for the day and Shane went across the hall to do the same. The four of them had compared schedules and they had all their classes together, except for their weekly private lesson with separate instructors. Mitchie had reminded them all the night before to trim their nails; the professors were sticklers about that with the students that played stringed instruments and piano.

Mitchie toweled off and peaked out her window. It was raining and she could tell from the sky that it would rain all day. She went to her closet to dress. She selected a pair of camouflage cargo capri pants, her teal and black rain boots and a pair of low, black sneakers that she would put on when she got there. She surveyed her tops and picked out a plain, bright red t-shirt. She shoved her feet into a pair of ankle socks and then a pair of knee socks so she wouldn't get a blister on her calf from her boots. She dressed quickly, tossed her sneakers into her messenger bag, pulled her slightly damp hair into a ponytail and threw on a grey hoodie. She applied a little bit of make up before grabbing her guitar and umbrella and heading out the door to meet the guys. They were already standing in the hall, waiting for her.

She burst out laughing when she saw them. "Guys, it's raining." They were all wearing their signature skinny jeans and tight blazers and dressy shoes.

"Yeah?" Nate said, not understanding what she was getting at.

"It's humid. You have to go from building to building. It's probably going to rain all day and you really don't want to sit around in wet, tight jeans. Trust me. Go change into something that you don't care about if it gets wet. And hurry up," she said as they headed back in, "Class starts in thirty minutes and it takes about twenty to get there." She stood in their doorway to wait for them.

"Why aren't we driving?" Shane yelled from his room.

"It's rush hour. It's faster to walk." Someone tapped her on the shoulder. She turned and saw Big Rob behind her. "Morning, Rob."

"Morning, Mitchie. Are they almost ready?"

"Yeah, I sent them back to change. They'd be miserable in their normal clothes."

"Are you guys walking or taking the limo?" He took off his sunglasses and cleaned them with his shirt.

"Walking, it's faster."

"All right, I'll meet you guys there in a little while. They should be okay, just make sure they each have on sunglasses and a hat or a hood."

"Will do!" Big Rob turned and went back into the elevator. The guys finally reappeared, all wearing more acceptable clothing and sensible shoes. They also wore sunglasses and Shane had on a grey fedora while the other two wore hoodies. "Perfect! Rob is going to meet us there."

The four each had their guitar strapped to their backs, locked their respective doors and head to the elevators and to school. The walk to school went faster than Mitchie had expected but she figured that since it was raining, they must have been walking faster than they normally did. Mitchie led the way into a different building from the one they were in on Friday and took them down to the basement. There was a bank of full length lockers. She opened the first one that didn't have a lock on it and instructed the others to do the same. She placed her guitar inside along with her rain boots and knee socks. She put on her sneakers and took out a lock, a roll of masking tape and a marker from her bag. She tore a piece of tape from the roll and placed it on the outside of the locker and wrote her name on it. She tossed the tape and marker down the line and the guys did the same. She finally closed her locker, giving the lock dial a twirl.

"Come on, we've got music theory in five minutes and its three floors up." She sprinted to the stairs. They locked their own lockers and followed her up the stairs. She was already a floor above them but she was still talking to them. "That'll be your locker all year. Normally, I put my bag in there but since it's raining, I'm keeping it with me so I can have my umbrella."

They reached the classroom with only a minute to spare. The class was already pretty full and they had to take seats in the front. Mitchie had warned them that this was easily the most boring class they would have to sit through that day. Nate and Shane were soon struggling to stay awake but Jason was on the edge of his seat, taking copious notes even though they were just being given the syllabus and text book information. After that class they went down stairs to get their guitars for classical guitar followed by music composition.

By the end of they day, all four were exhausted. Jason and Shane hadn't played for so many hours on end in years and their finger tips were bleeding. Nate, who practiced as much as he baked, did well but he was just as tired. The four climbed into the limo and went home.

"I'm too tired to make dinner," Nate said once they were all lying on the couch of the guys' apartment.

"We'll just order a pizza," Shane said as Mitchie rested her head in his lap and he began to play with her hair. Someone's phone rang. They all frantically checked their pockets before Mitchie located her phone and answered it.

"Hey, Caitlyn! What's up?" She pecked Shane on the cheek and went into the kitchen. Nate followed her.

"I'm going to be up Friday night around seven is that ok?" Caitlyn asked. Nate was mouthing something to Mitchie.

"Just a second, Cait." She placed her finger over the mouthpiece. "What is it, Nate?"

"Does she know that we're just across the hall from you?" He looked so nervous.

"No, she doesn't." She returned to the phone. "Sorry about that, Cait. I'm at the guys' place and we're ordering pizza and Shane wanted to know what kind I wanted. Friday sounds good. I have class until 3, so any time after that is good."

"Okay, I'm really excited to see you and Shane and Jason."

"And Nate?" Mitchie asked pointedly. Nate kept running his fingers through his hair, nervously.

Caitlyn sighed. "Mitch, as much as I care about him, I still haven't forgiven him yet for what he did to me. I need more time."

"I understand. But Cait, can I just say that he feels really bad about it now?" Nate nodded, silently urging her to continue. "He misses you, Cait, and he can't even call you to tell you that since you blocked his calls."

"I know… Mitchie?" Mitchie could hear the lump rising in her friend's throat.

"Yeah?"

"Is Nate there?" Mitchie's eyes met Nate's.

"Yeah, he's here."

"Can I talk to him?"

"Sure thing." Mitchie offered the phone to Nate.

He took it, shaking as he said, "Hello?"

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Sorry guys. I really don't like this chapter but it was necessary.


	6. Chapter 6

I've been getting a lot of requests for more Smitchie, so hear you go

I've been getting a lot of requests for more Smitchie, so hear you go! A little bit of smut as well. And by a bit, I mean a lot… ENJOY!

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Mitchie got home on Friday around 3 in the afternoon, alone. The guys all had their private weekly lesson that day and would be home in an hour, which was good because Caitlyn didn't know yet that they were living just across the hall.

Nate and Caitlyn were on the phone for nearly two hours Monday night, talking and crying. The next day, she had unblocked his calls to her phone and they were talking every night for at least half an hour, usually longer. Everything that could possibly be said over the phone had been said. Some things that needed to be said would have to wait until they were face to face. Nate was on cloud nine. He wasn't baking as much and was much more pleasant to be around. He was genuinely hopeful. Everyone, but Nate, was much more nervous about Caitlyn's visit than before. Their friends had more to lose now that they were on speaking terms again.

Mitchie took this time to do some last minute straightening up. Her apartment wasn't very messy since she and Shane slept and made out there and spent the rest of their time across the hall. Since Caitlyn was going to be there, the current plan was for her and Mitchie to sleep here and for Shane to sleep in his own room. Who knew what would happen by Sunday.

At 3:30, just as Mitchie was finishing putting away her dishes, she heard a knock on the door. She peeked through the peep hole and saw a much distorted Caitlyn looking back at her.

"Oh my God! Caitlyn!" she yelled as she opened the door. They both squealed and hugged. Mitchie ushered her inside and shut the door. "How was the drive?"

"Not too bad, I had some help," Caitlyn said cryptically.

"What do you—" Mitchie was cut off by another knock on the door. She opened it again. "Peggy?!"

There stood Peggy, guitar in one hand, duffel bag in the other. There was more squealing and hugging as Peggy came inside. They all collapsed on Mitchie's bed since her couch was too small for all three of them to sit comfortably on. Caitlyn looked like the same Caitlyn that Mitchie remembered, with her 1980s throwbacks and hats, but there was still hurt residing in her eyes. Peggy looked fantastic. She was still curvy and beautiful but she had a confidence that Mitchie had never seen before on her face.

"So, Mitchie, how's Shane?" Peggy asked with a big grin on her face.

Mitchie blushed self-consciously. "He's good. We're… we're together, I guess."

"What do you mean, you guess?" Caitlyn asked as she rolled on to her stomach.

"Well, he hasn't asked me, but when other people ask, he always says that we are." Mitchie drew her knees to her chest, smiling. "And we've been making out a lot," she added under her breath.

"What!?" Caitlyn shrieked. Peggy's jaw dropped.

"Yeah, and it's been soooooo good!" They all broke out into a fit of giggles as the other two tackled Mitchie with pillows. When they finally calmed down, they were lying next to one another across the bed. "Cait, I think I should tell you that the guys live just across the hall." Caitlyn didn't say anything, she just let out a soft sob from her place between the other two. "Oh, Caitlyn."

Peggy and Mitchie both hugged Caitlyn, letting her cry. After a few minutes, she finally began to speak. "I was fine, you know? I was fine and then we started talking again. I guess that I had forgotten just how much I loved him and how much I hated him for hurting me like that." Mitchie opened her mouth to say something but Caitlyn stopped her. "No, Mitchie, you were right to give him the phone. I needed to talk to him again. I want to forgive him but I don't know how I'm supposed to."

"Don't decide anything until you see him," Peggy advised, smoothing Caitlyn's hair. "You might want to kill him or you might want to jump him. Or both."

Mitchie couldn't help but laugh. They each gave her an odd look. "Shane and Jason basically said the same thing earlier this week." Cait laughed softly but Peggy's eyes widened.

"How is Jason?" Peggy asked, resting her head on her hand. Mitchie and Caitlyn laughed. Peggy had always had a soft spot for Jason. After she had recorded "Here I Am" with Shane, she collaborated with Jason on the music for a few songs for their album that they recorded while she was on tour with them. Shane had mentioned to her that Jason had had a crush on Peggy but was too shy and awkward to do anything about it at the time. "What? What's so funny?"

"He's fine, he's doing really well so far. He's the only one that can stay awake in Music Theory," she said with a smile. There was another knock on the door. Mitchie jumped off of the bed and ran to the door. Through the peephole, she could see that all three of the guys were crowded around the door and she could hear them arguing. She opened the door and they practically fell on her. "Hi, guys, lessons go well?"

Shane kissed her softly on the lips. "Yeah, as well as a first lesson can go."

"Is Caitlyn here yet?" Nate asked. He was nervously running his fingers through his curly hair.

"Yes." Caitlyn appeared behind Mitchie. Everyone got quiet and all the smiles fell as Nate and Caitlyn's eyes met.

"I'm here, too." Peggy was now standing behind Cait.

"Peggy!" Jason yelled. He jumped over everyone else and tackled Peggy to the ground with a loud 'thud!' They all burst out laughing. Good old Jason had inadvertently broken the tension and they could start having fun. Jason and Peggy, however, froze and Mitchie could have sworn that she saw Jason touch her cheek, tenderly.

They went to the other apartment since there was more room for the six of them. Nate and Caitlyn immediately shut themselves up in his room. The other four put on some music and pulled out Twister to occupy themselves until they went out for dinner. Every now and then they could hear yelling coming from Nate's room and once they could have sworn that they heard Caitlyn throw something and Nate yell in pain. It had been strangely quiet for about ten minutes, though.

"Right hand green!" Peggy commanded after twirling the spinner. Shane and Peggy were soon out but Mitchie and Jason, the most flexible of the group, were still going strong half an hour into the first match. Mitchie quickly moved her right hand to a green dot before Jason could move. When he did, he lost his balance and fell, pulling Mitchie down with him. They both resembled human pretzels. Caitlyn and Nate emerged from his room, both with tear-stained faces and messed up hair but looking significantly happier.

"Okay, guys, let's go to dinner," Nate said as Shane helped Mitchie up from the ground.

"Actually, why don't you guys go on ahead? Mitchie and I want to stay behind." Shane spoke firmly, letting the guys know that there was no point in arguing. Mitchie gave Shane a weird look. They hadn't talked about staying behind. He obviously had something up his sleeve.

"Have a good night guys!" Caitlyn told them. She gave Mitchie a big hug and whispered, "I'll tell you later."

Once they were all gone, Shane grabbed Mitchie and kissed her. "Sorry, it's just that we haven't had much time together. Jason and Nate are need a lot of attention when it's just us."

"It's okay," she said, pulling him closer to her.

"Mitchie?"

"Yeah?"

"Will you be my girlfriend?" He looked so nervous, like he expected her to say no.

"Of course, Shane!" They kissed again, more intensely this time. Shane put his arms around her, hands settling on her butt and lifted her up in the air. Instinctively, Mitchie wrapped her legs around his waist. He moved from her lips to her neck, sucking ever so lightly at her soft skin. Mitchie moaned in pleasure and began to undo the buttons of Shane's shirt. "Let's go to your room," she breathed into his ear.

Shane nodded and carried her to his room. They hadn't spent much time here, for some reason they preferred her apartment. He laid her down on the bed and shut the door. Mitchie took off her hoodie, leaving her in just a tank top and her jeans. Shane crawled next to her and pulled his shirt over his head. He needed to feel her skin against his. He attacked her mouth again, his hands snaking their way up the back of her tank top until he found the clasp of her bra. Mitchie took off the offending garment just as Shane undid her bra which he threw off to the side. She blushed a little. Every time they had gotten to this point before, it was at night, in her bed and it was dark. She self consciously tried to cross her arms in front of her chest but Shane stopped her.

"You're beautiful, Mitchie." He pressed his forehead against hers. "You don't need to hide from me."

"It's just… Shane, the only other time someone saw me like this was…" Mitchie didn't need to continue for Shane to know how that sentence ended.

"Jesus, Mitch, why didn't you tell me?" He sat at the edge of the bed, head in hands. He hated that he had pushed her farther than she wanted to go.

"I don't know, Shane. I don't know. I hate that I'm still dwelling on this. I want to be able to be in bed with you and not hear that asshole breathing on me or feel him inside me." She sat up, tears falling down from her brown eyes. She leaned her head against Shane's back, desperate from some kind of connection between them. It sounded crazy, but time hadn't changed anything about how they felt one another. There were just more complications.

Shane sighed. He turned and took her in his arms. "I'm sorry that you have to relive it every time we're together."

Mitchie looked up at him. She forgot that she was topless, that she felt damaged. She only knew that she loved Shane and that he might love her and all he wanted was for her not to hurt anymore. "Shane… make it go away." She kissed him again, climbed into his lap and pushed them onto the bed. There was no turning back. She had already undone the button and zipper on his jeans before Shane realized what she met.

"Are you sure?" he asked as he felt her hand reach into his jeans, which was difficult since they were so tight.

"Yes, Shane." He tentatively reached for the zipper on her jeans, waiting for her to stop him. She didn't.

Their pants were quickly discarded, leaving them in just their underwear. But that didn't last too long either…

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I'm evil. I know. Deal with it. Chapter 7 is currently being written. I promise that it will pick up where this left off.


	7. Chapter 7

I know, I know

I know, I know. I'm awful for ending Chapter 6 where I did. But I'll make it up to you!

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Their pants were quickly discarded, leaving them in just their underwear. But that didn't last too long either. Shane kissed Mitchie's stomach, his tongue lingering at her belly button as his fingers slipped under the sides of Mitchie's underwear and pulled them down her smooth thighs. When he slid back up her body, she used it as an opportunity to use her big toes to push his boxer briefs down. They continued making out until his hands and lips drifted to her breasts. Mitchie gasped as he captured one of her nipples in his mouth. Shane froze, afraid that she was gasping in fear but then she moaned and tangled her fingers in his hair. That sound was easily the sexiest thing that Shane had ever heard.

Shane got off of her, reached into his nightstand and retrieved a condom. 'Better safe than sorry,' he told himself. "Mitchie, I don't want you to worry about me tonight. I want to make you feel as good as I can make you feel." He kissed her again then sat up to get a good look at her. She was more beautiful than he had ever imagined. "Mitch?"

"Yeah?" she said, sitting up as well.

"I want—I want to make up for what happened to you."

"Shane, I—"

"No, let me finish. If I had made more of an effort to call you, to see you, to not tour as much, maybe I would have been your prom date and maybe it wouldn't have happened to you." Mitchie finally understood. He blamed himself.

"Oh, Shane," she said, kissing him with everything she had. He picked up the condom, removed it from the wrapper and slid it on. They kissed again, urgently, as they lay back down. Shane positioned himself between her legs and pushed into her.

Shane was by no means a virgin. He had lost his virginity at the age of fifteen on the tour bus with some random, heavily made-up blonde groupie whose name he couldn't remember no matter how hard he tried. Over the next four years, various nameless and faceless slutty blonde girls followed until he returned to Camp Rock and met Mitchie. After that, he didn't want anyone else. She was so different from all the other girls. She was a natural beauty, with little to no make-up and her smooth, dark hair. She didn't treat him like a celebrity or want anything material from him. She wanted to get to know him, the person not the rock star. He hadn't slept with anyone and (he felt like a pervert even when he admitted it to himself) every time he got off, it was thoughts about Mitchie that did it. He had imagined this moment millions of times in a thousand different scenarios. But those thoughts and fantasies could not compare to the present. He had to remind himself to focus on Mitchie and her pleasure.

He was reluctant to make any movement until Mitchie said, "I've only does this once before and it doesn't even count, but I'm pretty sure you're supposed to move." He chuckled a bit and began to move within her. He moved slowly at first, giving her a chance to get used to the feeling. He supported himself on his elbows, kissing her neck, lips and shoulders as her fingers gripped his arms and back. As he bit her neck softly, Mitchie moaned, "Faster, Shane, please, harder!" She was beginning to pant and whimper, letting Shane know that she was getting close to orgasm. He complied, allowing himself to lose some control. He hooked one of his hands under Mitchie's left knee and rested it against his chest. Mitchie almost screamed in pleasure from the change of angle. She arched her back, tightening her grip around Shane. He almost came when she did that. He had to changed position if he was going to last any longer. He rolled over, never breaking contact, moving her on top.

"Shane, I don't know h—" Shane silenced her with a kiss.

"Trust me, just do what feels good." He held her hips and thrust deep into her, giving her an idea of what to do.

"Oh, wow, I—Oh, my God!" She began to rock back and forth just as Shane started to rub her clit. That helped send her over the edge and she collapsed against Shane's chest, out of breath. He rolled her back onto her back and thrust furiously into her.

"Mitchie, oh God, Mitchie—" he panted into her ear. Her nails dug into his back as she met each of his thrusts with her hips. She pulled his face back to hers and shoved her tongue into his mouth. She orgasmed again, constricting herself around him. Shane couldn't hold it off any longer. He came with a final push into her.

Shane remained in her for a final moment, not wanting to for it end. She kissed him and wrapped her arms around him. He rolled off of her and got out of bed. "I'll be right back," he said and disappeared into his bathroom. He reappeared faster than Mitchie could process what he had said. He located his boxer briefs and pulled them on before rejoining her in bed. "Sorry, I needed to throw it away." He enveloped her in his arms. "Mitchie?"

"Yeah?" She sounded sleepy as she nuzzled against his chest. She breathed deeply, taking in his scent. She was amazed that she didn't mind that he was sweaty.

"Iminlovewithyou," he mumbled into her hair.

Mitchie's eyes widened. She hoisted herself away from him to look in his eyes. "What did you just say?"

"I'm falling in love with you. I—" Shane was stuttering a bit. He took a deep breath before continuing. "I love you. I've been in love with you for three years. I'm sorry I'm just now telling you but—" Mitchie silenced him with a searing kiss and round two began.

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There you go! Hope you enjoyed it! I know, not very long but whatever. I'm going to try to get at least three more chapters up this week since classes are starting soon. Input is always appreciated and thank you all for your reviews!


	8. Chapter 8

Shane woke up in his bed for the first time since he had moved into his apartment

Here's the next chapter! "Lovebug" and "Can't Have You" are property of the Jonas Brothers… and "Lovebug" is adorable in so many ways.

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Shane woke up in a strange bed, his own. Last night was the first time since he had moved into his apartment that he had actually slept there.

It wasn't very early; his alarm clock by the bed was reading nine o'clock. Mitchie was curled up on her side and he was spooning her. He gently ran his hand up and down her side, careful not to wake her. He peaked under the covers and saw that she must have woken at some point during the night and found her underwear. Her skin was so soft and smooth against his that he was having difficulty just touching her side. He got out of bed, put on a pair of pajama pants and went to the kitchen to start the coffee maker. He passed the living room and saw Jason and Peggy curled up on the couch together. Once the coffee was done, he poured two cups; fixed one the way he knew Mitchie liked it and went back to his room.

Mitchie had rolled onto her stomach and she looked unbelievably sexy to Shane. The sheet was resting at her hip and her hair was pushed away from her face. She hugged a pillow and murmured things softly in her sleep. Shane sat on the edge of the bed, chuckling at her adorableness. He sipped his coffee, content to watch her sleep. A strand of her hair slipped in front of her face and Shane carefully pushed it away.

"Shane?" Mitchie said at his touch. She opened her eyes and smiled her beautiful smile at him.

"Morning, Gorgeous." He leaned down and kissed her cheek. "Coffee?"

"Please." Shane handed her her cup once she had sat up. "Thanks." Shane got back in bed. Mitchie crawled over him so she sat in front of him and lay against his chest. "What's the plan for today?"

"Well, first, you and I are going to have sex again." Shane smirked into his coffee cup.

"Oh, we are, are we?" Mitchie asked flirtatiously.

"Yup, you're on my "To Do" list." Mitchie shook her head at the bad joke. "After that, nothing until this evening."

"What's this evening?"

"Ugh, our manager is making us do a show downtown once a month so we don't get rusty." He shook his head the ridiculousness of that statement. They were in class eight hours five days a week and had to practice on their own for at least two. How were they going to get rusty? "Do you think that you and the girls will want to go?"

"Definitely. Someone's got to keep the groupies away from you guys." Mitchie sighed, closing her eyes, just enjoying the moment that she and Shane were having. It was so normal and comfortable. Shane placed his empty cup in the night stand and hugged her. She sighed again, relaxing in his arms. He kissed her shoulders, his hands resting on her breasts. Mitchie drained her coffee cup and placed it next to Shane's on the night stand. She climbed into his lap and began to place kisses along his neck. Shane let his hands begin to really explore her body. His fingers pushed her underwear to the side and—

"Shane? Are you guys up yet?" Nate's voiced called through the door after a sharp knock.

"Yes!" he called back, not stopping his ministrations on Mitchie.

"Well, get up, we want to go do stuff!"

"We're busy!" He was getting exasperated with his cousin. He watched Mitchie's face as she bit her lip and flipped her hair away from her face.

"What are you doing?"

"Okay, is that Jason, not Nate?" Mitchie asked Shane quietly. He smiled.

"I'm… crossing something off of my "To Do" list!" He tackled Mitchie onto her back, silencing her giggles with a kiss.

"Well, make sure you use a condom!" Nate shouted as joke. They heard the others laugh and then music start. Shane couldn't help but laugh either because he was reaching into his night stand at that moment.

"Do we have time?" Mitchie asked.

"Yes. We have plenty of time. I'm going to introduce you to my good friend, "the quickie."

Twenty minutes later, Mitchie threw her clothes back on and ran across the hall to shower and change. She liked quickies, she decided. She undressed and hopped into the shower. She couldn't help but smile. Shane was going to invite the other girls to their show that night. So she wanted to look especially cute for that even though they didn't have to head downtown until seven for the show at 8:30. She shampooed her hair twice, she felt grubby from all the sex she'd had. She rinsed off and wrapped a towel around her body before going to her closet to dress. She picked out her favorite underwear, the lavender boy shorts with lace on the edges and matching bra before pulling on a light yellow skirt that fell to her knees and a navy blue tank top and sandals. She pulled her wet hair into a messy bun and grabbing her and Peggy's guitars and Caitlyn laptop before going across the hall. She had passed Peggy on her way to get a shower and she had asked her to bring them over so they could play together.

When she opened the door, Shane, Nate and Jason were sitting out on the balcony. Nate had an electronic keyboard in his lap, Jason was holding his guitar. Shane had a notebook in his hand but his guitar was leaning against his leg. Caitlyn and Peggy were in the kitchen, snacking on the last batch of cookies Nate had made yesterday.

"Hey, guys," Mitchie said as she handed them their belongings and they all moved into the living room. Caitlyn also brought the cookies. She nodded towards the balcony. "What are they up to?"

"I don't know." Caitlyn said as she started up her laptop. "After you left and Shane had showered, he practically dragged them out there and we're not allowed to bother them."

Peggy unzipped her guitar and the three friends spent the next few hours goofing around until the guys came back in. Caitlyn told Mitchie and Peggy about what happened with Nate.

"He apologized, like, a million times, I yelled and cried, he cried and yelled, and then I threw his Grammy at him and broke it." They both stared at her. Caitlyn just shrugged and kept talking. "That kind of broke the ice and we actually talked instead of screaming at each other."

"Were any decisions made?" Peggy asked, tuning her guitar.

"Nothing firm. But I don't hate him anymore. That's a big step."

"What was his excuse?" Mitchie asked as she played the opening chords of "Who Will I Be."

"Actually, he didn't have one. He said that he had thought about it a long time and he had no reason for cheating on me with her. He apologized for hurting me but he had no reason for it."

"So why did you look so disheveled when you two came out of his room?" Mitchie asked.

"And why did you sleep in his room last night?" Peggy added. Mitchie stared at Caitlyn again.

"Well, umm… let's just say that anger and passion are two very close emotions." Caitlyn blushed and turned all her focus to her computer.

Mitchie and Peggy laughed. "What about you and Jason, Peggy? Shane said he saw you two asleep on the couch this morning."

Now, it was Peggy's turn to blush. "We stayed up late talking and fell asleep. And," she paused to take a deep breath, "he asked me to come visit him next month."

They all burst into giggles and finally began to play. They didn't come up with anything that they thought was good but they had fun and that was what mattered. The guys finally came in and joined their jam session. It was three o'clock when they realized that they hadn't had lunch so they went out to a small restaurant down the street. They came back to the apartment and kept playing but Caitlyn recorded everything this time, stating that good stuff comes organically.

Six o'clock rolled around and the guys had to get ready for their show. Mitchie and the girls took their stuff back to her apartment and took the opportunity to freshen up. They all changed; Peggy put on a pair of dark jeans, a light blue wrap top and silver flats, Caitlyn dressed in black leggings, a slim grey mini-skirt, a white wife beater and a grey vest with a black striped fedora and red Converse sneakers. Mitchie changed into a green dress that she could tie in various different ways. Tonight, she twisted the straps once before tying it as a halter.

At seven, they all headed down to the limo where Big Rob was waiting for them and headed downtown. They guys each had their guitars. They arrived at the club and went in through the back. The girls grabbed a table near the front of the stage as the guys did a sound check. A waitress came over and got their drink orders as they whispered to one another about how sexy the guys looked on stage. The guys came down to talk to them for a little while before the doors of the club opened and the audience arrived.

The audience consisted mainly of teenaged girls and their reluctant boyfriends. There were several times that they heard girls talk about which member of Connect 3 was going home with them and all they could do was laugh.

The owner of the club came on stage and introduced the guys, who came out to raucous applause. Jason and Nate picked up their guitars and Shane, a tambourine, and played some of their old stuff, things that they didn't write or like. Then Shane began to play "Play My Music" and Caitlyn, Mitchie and Peggy cheered loudly. Shane winked at Mitchie as the song ended.

"You guys have been great but now, Nate is going to play something new for you guys." Shane picked up his guitar as Nick went to the piano off to the side.

"Hey, um, this is relatively new. I… well, let's just say I screwed up big time and hurt someone I never wanted to hurt." A song that they had never heard before began to be played by the three guys. Nate neared the microphone and began to sing.

_You warned me that you were gonna leave (leave, leave)_

_I never thought that you would really go (go, go)_

_I was blind but baby now I see (now I, now I know)_

_That I was being such a fool (oooh)_

_And I didn't deserve you (oooh)_

_I don't wanna fall asleep_

_Cause I don't know if I'll get up_

_And I don't wanna cause a scene_

_But I'm dyin' without your love_

_Begging to hear your voice_

_Tell me you love me too_

_Cause I'd rather just be alone_

_If I know that I can't have you_

_Looking at the letter that you left_

_(The letter that you left, will I ever get you back)_

_Wondering if I'll ever get you back_

_(ooh aah, ooh aah, ooh aah)_

_Dreaming about when I'll see you next_

_(when will I see you next? Will I ever get you back?)_

_Knowing that I never will forget_

_(I won't forget, I won't forget)_

_That I was being such a fool (oooh)_

_Now I still don't deserve you (oooh)_

_I don't wanna fall asleep_

_Cause I don't know if I'll get up_

_And I don't wanna cause a scene_

_Cause I'm dyin' without your love_

_Yeah!_

_Begging to hear your voice_

_Tell me you love me too_

_Cause I'd rather just be alone_

_If I know that I can't have you_

_So tell me what we're fighting for_

_Cause you know that truth means so much more_

_Cause you would if you could, don't lie (don't lie)_

_Cause I give everything that I've get left_

_To show you I mean what I have said_

_I know I was such a fool_

_But I can't live without you (without you)_

_I don't wanna fall asleep_

_Don't know if I'll getup_

_Don't wanna cause a scene_

_But I'm dying' without your love_

_Begging to hear your voice_

_Tell me you love me too_

_Cause I'd rather just be alone_

_If I know that I can't have you_

_Yeah!_

_I don't wanna fall asleep (don't wanna fall asleep)_

_Cause I don't know if I'll get up (who knows if I'll get up)_

_And I don't wanna cause a scene_

_Cause I'm dyin' without your love_

_Yeah!_

_Begging to hear your voice (let me hear your voice)_

_Tell me you love me too (tell me you love me too)_

_Cause I'd rather just be alone_

_If I know that I can't have you_

Nate finished the song and looked right at Caitlyn, longing to know what she thought. She stood up and stepped closer to the stage, tears falling down her cheeks. Nate jumped off the stage, right in front of her. The crowd was buzzing, waiting to see what happened next. Caitlyn pulled Nate into a hug and kissed him. They kissed for almost a minute until Shane and Jason tapped Nate on the shoulder.

"Dude, we gotta finish the show. Caitlyn's lips will still be there," Shane said, earning a laugh from the audience. Nate kissed Caitlyn one last time before he jumped back on stage. "One last song and this is even newer than that last one. We wrote this this morning on our balcony. Now, Nate is not the only member of Connect 3 with someone special in the audience tonight. Nate wrote the first verse, I wrote the second and Jason wrote the third."

Nate went back to the piano and Jason started a continuous line.

_Called her for the first time yesterday_

_Finally found the missing part of me_

_Felt so close but you were far away_

_Left without anything to say_

_Now I'm speechless, over the edge_

_I'm just breathless_

_I never thought that I'd catch this love bug again_

_Hopeless, head over heels in the moment_

_I never thought that I'd get hit by this love bug again_

_I can't get you smile out of my mind_

_(I can't get you out of my mind)_

_I think about your eyes all the time_

_You're beautiful but you don't even try_

_(You don't even, don't even try)_

_Modesty is just so hard to find_

_Now I'm speechless, over the edge_

_I'm just breathless_

_I never thought that I'd catch this love bug again_

_Hopeless, head over heels in the moment_

_I never thought that I'd get this love bug again_

_Kissed her for the first time yesterday_

_Everything I wished that it would be_

_Suddenly I forgot how to speak_

_Hopeless, breathless_

_Baby can't you see?_

_Now I'm…_

_Yeah, oh_

_Now I'm speechless, over the edge_

_I'm just breathless_

_I never thought that I'd catch this love bug again_

_Hopeless, head over heels in the moment_

_I never thought that I'd get hit by this love bug again_

_Oh…_

_Love bug again_

The crowd burst into applause but none of the six friends heard any of it. All that they could think of was how soon they could get home.

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YAY!! I love how songs from the new album just slid so easily into my story! I'm going to try to get the tenth chapter up by Friday. We'll see.


	9. Chapter 9

Sorry about all the weirdness at the beginning of almost every chapter

YAY! 50 REVIEWS!! That's the most reviews I've ever gotten for one of my stories! Sorry about all the weirdness at the beginning of almost every chapter. I don't know why it's doing it but since it hasn't been messing up my story I don't care much.

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Oh, and I just found out that ScarlettBlush is holding the first annual Camp Rock Awards! (hint, hint…)

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Mitchie and Shane stumbled out of the limo, hand in hand with Nate and Caitlyn close behind them and then Jason and Peggy. To an outside observer, they probably appeared to be drunk but they were completely sober. The ride in the elevator was silent; the sexual tension was so thick that you could cut it with a knife. Mitchie and Shane silently agreed to go to her apartment. She stumbled with putting the key in the lock of her door as Shane's lips were firmly planted at that spotted behind her ear that made her knees give out. The others disappeared into the guys' apartment just as Shane locked the door of Mitchie's.

No words were spoken between them, they weren't necessary. Shane untied the knot holding up her dress and pulled it over her head. Mitchie kicked off her sandals as she loosened his tie and pushed his blazer off his shoulders. Shane unhooked Mitchie's bra, leaving her in just her lacy underwear. Mitchie unbuttoned and unzipped his pants and pushed them down before starting on his shirt. Shane slipped her panties off her hips which she then stepped out of. He grabbed a condom out of his wallet before claiming her mouth with his own and pushed her against the nearest wall. He picked her up off the ground, pinned her against the wall and slipped the condom on.

He was aching he needed her so badly. He thrust with reckless abandon into Mitchie, sucking and nipping gently on her neck and breasts. Mitchie pushed against him, moaning and digging her nails into his back with her legs wrapped around his waist. He pounded into her, desperate for release and to feel her clench around him. He kissed her mouth again, his tongue darting in and out to silence her cries of pleasure. He suddenly felt Mitchie contract her muscles involuntarily. She gripped his shoulders and came with a shudder before settling back against the wall. Shane soon followed.

He carried her to the bed and lay her down. He removed the condom, threw it in the trash and lay down next to her, just taking in how wonderful she looked. There was a decent sized bite mark on her chest and he suddenly realized how rough he had been with her and felt guilty.

"Mitchie, I'm sorry if I was too—"

She silenced him with a finger to his lips. "Shane, you weren't too rough. I think that it was what we both needed." He gave Mitchie a confused look. "We just let it happened. We were both in the moment and we weren't worrying about the past." She inched closer to Shane until they were nose to nose. "If you are ever getting too rough or something's wrong, I'll tell you and I trust you to stop when I ask you to."

She rolled slightly onto her back to yawn and stretch. Shane groaned at the sight of her body lengthening. He ran his index finger from the middle of her forehead down her body, tracing an invisible line. He wanted to explore every centimeter of her soft skin…

Across the hall, Nate and Caitlyn had locked themselves in his room and turned on the radio as loud as it could go. Jason and Peggy, who had never been officially together, retreated to the balcony. Peggy was too nervous and shy to go in his room. They sat on the floor next to each other, watching the city lights through the bars.

They had kissed last night. It was just a small, nervous first kiss. More of a peck than a kiss but it counted. Three years of crushing on one another forced the kiss when they were in the kitchen getting a late night snack.

Jason put his arm over Peggy's shoulder and pulled her closer to him. She rested her head on his shoulder and breathed in the night air.

"Jason?"

"Yeah?" he answered. Her hair smelled like some sort of flower but wasn't too sweet or overpowering that it covered up her natural scent.

"I'm transferring to Berklee next semester." She twiddled her thumbs, waiting for him to respond. She had already told Mitchie that afternoon and Caitlyn was transferring as well. Whether Nate knew or not was a mystery to her.

"Really?" Peggy could hear his smile in his voice.

"Yeah, I applied last month and got accepted into the vocal program. I wanted to tell you now so that when I showed up in January it wouldn't be a shock if things didn't work out with us."

Jason frowned. "Why wouldn't things work out?" he asked.

"Well, you know… I'm still going to be at University of the Arts until then and it's kind of far away."

"Not that far." He kissed the top of her head. Jason was an odd sort of person. In everyday life, he was known for being silly and a bit, well, stupid. But every now and then, he would say something that was so wise that it caught everyone around him off guard. "I think that long distance relationships work if both people are truly committed to one another. Shane and Mitchie would have worked but they were too young and they doubted the strength of their feelings. Nate and Caitlyn worked until Nate let the loneliness get the better of him." He shifted so he was facing her. "I think that we'll work because I haven't seen you in two and half years and my feelings for you haven't decreased. In fact," he blushed, "I think I like you more."

"I like you, too." She leaned over and her lips met his in a sweet, tender kiss.

"I'm willing to give it a shot if you are," he said when they broke apart.

"I'm willing," Peggy said and they kissed again as fireworks from early Labor Day celebrations went off in the distance.

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Sorry this is so short. I'm starting to get writer's block. Please PM me if you have any ideas!


	10. Chapter 10

I'm jumping ahead to winter break, so sorry if you get confused but I'm including an update of everyone. I just needed to get Caitlyn and Peggy in Boston and I'm too impatient to actually write a bunch of fluff chapters.

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The semester soon ended and winter break began. The guys did reasonably well with their classes considering that they hadn't been in a classroom setting for several years. They each excelled in different classes. Nate was really good at Classical Guitar, for Shane, it was composition and Jason had the highest grade in Music Theory.

Mitchie chose to stay in Boston for the holidays since plane tickets to California were so expensive and she didn't want to risk the chance of the Boston airport getting snowed in and getting stuck somewhere in between. Also, Caitlyn and Peggy were moving up. They decided to live together, in a three bedroom apartment in the same building just three floors down.

All three of the couples somehow survived the semester. Caitlyn and Peggy would drive up once a month for the guys' concert and Nate and Jason would go visit them two weeks later. Nate and Caitlyn were still the most volatile of the group. At least once a week they had a huge fight over something that they even knew was stupid. They all hoped that it was just the distance talking and things between them would improve once she was in Boston for good. Caitlyn's statement that anger and passion seemed to be proving all too true for them; every time that they saw each other, they would lock themselves in a room and not come out until hours later.

Jason and Peggy were able to stay together and used the time apart to get to know one another. They talked everyday for hours on end. Jason, who never wrote any songs on his own, was churning them out like nobody's business. Peggy got up the guts to perform on stage with them a couple of times, something she hadn't done she had toured with them. She and Jason were so well suited for one another that it was as if they had always been together.

And Shane and Mitchie were falling deeper and deeper in love. They had the advantage of being able to see one another every day. Shane spent every night with Mitchie. They had settled into a routine that didn't bore them and were so comfortable together that their friends at school referred to them as "the old married couple." Everyday, they would wake up, get ready separately, go to school with Jason and Nate, come home and practice, eat dinner and then go to bed. It felt like they had always lived like this.

On Christmas Eve, Mitchie moved her things down to her new apartment. Peggy and Caitlyn were going moving in the next day and Mitchie wanted to get as much of her stuff done so she could help them. Shane and the boys helped her move her big things like her bed and couch that morning, but she insisted on doing the rest herself. The guys used that time to go shopping downtown for their girlfriends.

They wandered around for hours in the cold and the snow, all at a loss as to what to get them.

Suddenly, as it was getting dark, Jason stopped dead in his tracks. "Dudes! My dad told me once, "When in doubt, get jewelry!"" They all raced to the nearest jewelry store just a few minutes before it was set to close.

Mitchie was in her new room, hanging pictures that she had taken that semester. There was a picture of Caitlyn and Peggy, posing like the goofballs they are; all three of the guys sitting on a wall near school and Mitchie's favorite, one of her and Shane on the balcony in front of a sunset. She loved her new room. They had drawn straws and she got the bedroom with an adjoining bathroom She had painted one of the walls a deep purple and her parents gave her a new bedspread as a house warming gift. She had a fantastic view of the city and the currently setting sun that was barely visible in the light snow.

She heard a knock on the main door and went to check who it was. Shane stood there, still in his coat and hat. He looked like a wet dog. She giggled as she opened the door. "How did shopping go?"

Shane pushed past her and she shut the door. "You better like what I got you."

"I'm sure that I will." She was still giggling at him. He took off his coat and hat and stood over an air vent to get warm.

"Hey, you have no idea how cold it is out there! I think I might have frostbite on my junk!"

Mitchie feigned shock. "Oh, no! Not your junk!"

He glowered at her. "Yeah, that's right. Laugh it up. You won't be laughing if it falls off." He crossed his arms and pouted. "I don't see what's so funny. I'm talking about body parts that I know you've expressed appreciation for."

Mitchie went to and wrapped her arms low around his waist. "Yes, I have. But you know what?"

"What?"

"I'd still love you." She kissed his jaw, the thing that always drove him crazy.

"Well, do you know what?" He smirked at her.

"What?"

"This." He placed his freezing hands on Mitchie's neck, making her scream and run from his grasp. He seized her by her waist and threw her over his shoulder, her top sliding up a bit and his hands now firmly planted on her bare skin. He headed for her new room.

She screamed again and smacked his butt. "Shane Grey, you put me down right now!"

"I will in just a second." He was pleased to see that her bed was cleared of her belonging and kicked her door close. He bent over and set her down on the bed. "I think we need to christen your new apartment before Nate and Caitlyn or Jason and Peggy get the chance to." Mitchie scooted up her bed and Nate crawled slowly after her.

"Nate and Caitlyn, yes, but Peggy hasn't slept with anyone yet, let alone Jason," Mitchie said offhandedly as she kissed Shane's neck. Shane froze and sat back to process that new information.

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Wow, I thought that they were."

"I did, too, but Peggy insists that they haven't yet. She wants to but Jason is the one that wants to wait." Mitchie was now getting impatient and pulled Shane's t-shirt over his head then took off her own shirt.

Shane was still lost in thought. "I wonder why."

"I don't know but I'm starting to understand her frustration." Shane looked at her. She was now completely naked and looking at him expectantly.

"Wow, I, wow." Shane attacked her mouth. "What was I talking about?"

"Nothing," she said as she slipped her hand down his jeans.

"Okay, sounds weird, but don't say "nothing" when you're touching me there." Mitchie laughed again but her laughter quickly changed to shrieks as Shane's fingers delved into her.

"Your hands are still cold!"

Shane laughed at her wriggling away from him. "I know, I thought maybe you could warm them up for me."

"You know what?" Mitchie got up and headed to her bathroom and turned on the hot water. "I think a shower will warm you up."

Shane leapt off the bed and followed her in, shutting the door behind him.

Three floors up, Jason was wrapping his Christmas present for Peggy. He was also lost in thought. He and Peggy had been together for almost four months now and they hadn't slept together yet. Peggy wanted to, she had told him so in October, but he was nervous about it. He didn't quite have the same track record of Shane or Nate, but he had been with his fair share of girls. Peggy was so different from them, though. She was the only one that didn't think that he was a complete idiot, she laughed at his jokes and she liked him. She really liked him. Not Jason from Connect 3. She liked goofy, sweet, awkward Jason that put ketchup on his pancakes and was obsessed with birds. She had even made him a birdhouse from a kit she got at a craft store. On one side of the roof she had painted "MD + JW" and on the other she pasted a bunch of different pictures of them. As he finished wrapping the small box in his hands, he came to a realization. He was in love with Peggy. He loved her.

He looked at his watch. It was now nine o'clock. The once light snow was now a full on blizzard. He wanted to drive down to Philadelphia right then and tell her that he loved her but the snow told him not to. She and Caitlyn were supposed to be there around ten the next morning. He would have to wait. So he did wait he always did when he couldn't tell Peggy to her face what he wanted to. He wrote her a song.

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Sorry I didn't get this up yesterday. I got home from class and just crashed into bed and didn't wake up until two. Please Review!! Next chapter posted at 65 reviews!


	11. Chapter 11

Okay, this chapter is kind of short but I'm really proud of it. Please review! You guys are awesome!

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"Hey, guys?" Jason said as they all ate breakfast before Caitlyn and Peggy arrived. The other three looked at him. "Can you guys hang out at the other apartment tonight? I'm doing something special for Peggy."

Shane and Mitchie exchanged a glance but Nate just nodded and poured himself another cup of coffee. He didn't sleep well last night. He was worried about Caitlyn moving up to Boston. What if they didn't stop fighting? What if they fought more? He knew that at some point they would outgrow their tendency to just have sex whenever they were together but he had no idea what their relationship would be like after that. Things would never be as they once were. He had apologized and he had meant it, but he could tell that she was still angry with him but she refused to talk about it. Instead, their fights were about other things, stupid things that didn't really matter.

"I'm taking Caitlyn out, so we'll be out of your hair," Nate said, earning another glance between Shane and Mitchie.

Mitchie's phone rang. It was Peggy. "Hey, are you guys here yet?"

"Yeah, we're turning on to the block. Meet us downstairs?"

"Sure thing." The guys were already grabbing their coats. They all hopped into the elevator, Mitchie getting off on her floor to grab her coat and unlock the door. Their big stuff had been sent up a couple days ago so it was just their last minute things and clothes that they were bringing up. Mitchie also got her grocery cart, one of those foldable metal ones that little old ladies typically used, to bring up the small stuff. She downstairs and out into the bitter cold. She quickly hugged Peggy and Caitlyn and loaded up her cart. There would be time to talk once they were inside and warm. They got the car unloaded as quickly as possible and had the guys move the furniture around as Mitchie helped them unpack. Their apartment was smaller than the guys', but it was clear when Nate collapsed on to a couch that Peggy sent up that this was going to be their new hang out.

Around three, they called it quits and went up to the guys' to open presents. Jason had been the one to insist on getting a Christmas tree so he was elected to play Santa. He passed out the presents so that they each had one in their hands before getting one for him self.

Mitchie had quite a haul. Caitlyn made her and Peggy purses made entirely out of strips of duct tape that were woven together; Peggy got her a new guitar strap that had intricate embroidery; Nate gave her a CD of songs that Shane had written when they weren't speaking; and Jason gave her a t-shirt with a bunch of different birds printed on it. Her parents sent her a gift card to her favorite store and her grandparents just sent her cash to spend at her discretion. The only person she hadn't gotten a gift from was Shane. Peggy and Caitlyn had already opened their gifts from Jason and Nate. Jason gave Peggy a silver big circular locket that had a picture of them inside. Nate got Caitlyn a charm bracelet and a few charms.

Nate and Caitlyn left to go out and Jason shooed them out of the apartment so he could be alone with Peggy. As they rode down the elevator, Mitchie was getting really confused because he had made such a big deal the day before about his present for her. He seemed to really like she was got him, a new acoustic guitar since his old one had gotten stepped on in class when the fire alarm went off. They got to her apartment and she dumped her stuff on her bed before going to the kitchen to get a glass of water.

"Shane? Do you want anything?" she yelled into the living room.

"No, I'm fine, thanks," he yelled back. Mitchie went into the living room and sat next to Shane on the couch. Shane sat up and pulled a small box out of his jacket pocket.

"I'm sorry I made you wait. I wanted us to be alone when I gave this to you."

He handed the box to Mitchie. She ripped off the white bow and the green paper and was left with a black velvet covered jewelry box.

"Shane?" He took it from her hand and opened it. Mitchie's hand flew to her mouth as she gasped. Inside sat a platinum ring with an emerald cut diamond. Shane got up from the couch and kneeled on the floor in front of Mitchie.

"Mitchie, I love you more than I ever thought I could love someone. You make me a better person and you brought me back from being the jerk I had become. I can't imagine spending the rest of my life with anyone else." Mitchie felt tears well up in her eyes as Shane placed one of his hands on her knee. "I know that this probably seems really fast and we're still really young so I also have this if you don't want to say "yes," yet." He pulled a silver necklace out of his pocket. "I just wanted you to know how much I love you and I plan to always be with you." Shane was crying now, too. "Will you marry me?"

Mitchie took a deep breath and said, "Yes."

"Really?"

"Yes!"

They were both crying and Shane slid it on to her ring finger. Shane touched her cheek and pulled her into a kiss. Mitchie took his hand, her ring sparkling in the light of the room and led him into her room.

Upstairs, Jason was making Peggy dinner. Peggy sat at the counter watching him cook.

"I didn't know you could cook," she said with a smile. She opened her locket and smiled even more at the picture. Mitchie had taken it one day when they were all in Philadelphia and she and Jason were snuggled up on the couch watching TV. Neither of them were looking at the camera but they looked happy and relaxed in one another's arms.

"Only spaghetti. But I think my sauce is pretty good." He took the wooden spoon from the pot and held it up for Peggy to try. Peggy tasted the sauce and licked her lips. Jason bit his lip, trying not to tackle her to the ground and ravishing her.

"It is delicious!" She wiped a little bit that was on the edge of her mouth with her finger and licked it off. Jason groaned. She was oblivious as to what she was doing to him.

"Can I help?" She hopped off of her stool and went around the counter and looped her arms around his waist. She kissed his shoulder absentmindedly before resting her chin on it.

"God, I love you," Jason blurted out. They both froze. Peggy withdrew her arms from his body and stepped back and he turned to face her. "I'm sorry—I shouldn't have—I—"

"I love you, too."

"You do?"

"Yes, I love you."

Jason turned off the stove and tackled Peggy to the ground and kissed her soundly on the mouth. "I'm not hungry anymore. Are you?"

Peggy shook her head. "No, I'm not."

"Let's go to my room."

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Double smut next time! Girl Scouts honor! (Wow, my troop leaders would be so proud.)


	12. Chapter 12

I'm seriously shocked by the response I've been getting. Please keep reading and please please please go to ScarlettBlush's page to nominate this story. Today is the last day!

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Mitchie peeled off Shane's jacket without removing her lips from his. She had never wanted him more than she did at that moment. She unbuttoned his shirt and he pulled her sweater over her head. He brushed the hair out of her face before kissing her again.

"I love you, Mitchie," he said. He brought her left hand to his lips and kissed her ring finger, then her palm, wrist, the inside of her elbow and her shoulder before his hand fell to her neck and he gently tugged at her earlobe with his teeth.

"I love you, too." She grabbed him by his belt, unbuckled it and then undid his jeans as he did the same to her.

"Mitchie?"

"Yeah?"

"We're getting married," he said with a smile on his face. Mitchie bit her lip and smiled back.

"Yeah. We are."

Shane kissed her again and backed her towards the bed. She instinctively sat down and inched her way up. Shane climbed after her and pulled her underwear off. She unclasped her bra and threw it to the pile of discarded clothing. Mitchie slipped his boxers off his narrow hips and began to rub him but he pushed her hand away.

"I want to last as long as possible and I won't if you do that."

He kissed the valley between her breasts before latching on to one of her nipples and massaging the other with his hand while they other parted her knees and settled where her legs met. Mitchie moaned and tangled her fingers in his hair. He moved down her body and began to tease her with his tongue. He ran his tongue up and down her slit before circling her clit. Shane continued for several minutes until Mitchie cried out.

"Shane, I need you in me," she breathed huskily. Shane nodded, kissed her again before reaching into Mitchie's nightstand for a condom and slid it on.

He would never get tired of being inside her. In every aspect of their life together they seemed to fit together perfectly, like two puzzle pieces. This was just another of those times. Mitchie clung to him tightly, her mouth firmly planted on his neck. She whimpered against his skin as he began to move slowly. He silenced her with a kiss.

"Shane, faster, please, I—"

"I want to break our record," he stated, never stopping his languid motions within her.

Mitchie's eyes widened. "Shane, our record is an hour and a half."

"I know."

"Shane, I am not in the right head space to break any records tonight." She caressed his face. "I need to be with you."

Shane breathed out a sigh of relief and let go of his self control and began to move faster. The effect was immediate. Mitchie was practically clawing at him. They lost themselves in one another and moved as one. Years later, Mitchie would look back on that night as the night that she and Shane truly committed themselves to one another…

…Jason helped Peggy off the ground and led her to his room. She could feel his hand shaking.

"Jason, relax," she said as he ran his fingers through his hair. He opened the door to his room and they went inside. "Why are you so nervous?"

"I don't know." He sat on his bed and held his head in his hands.

Peggy smiled at him and tousled his hair. "I'll tell you what. If you tell me what's wrong, I'll make you another birdhouse."

"Really?" His expression and demeanor immediately brightened and Peggy couldn't help but giggle at her boyfriend. He really was a sweet guy. She kneeled in front of him and kissed him to let him know that she meant it.

"Okay, I'm just scared that I'll mess up and that you'll break up with me or that things will change between us and we'll never get back to how we are now." He looked into her eyes and continued. "I've never been in love with anyone but you. You inspire more than any thing or person ever has. I just don't want to lose you. That's why I've been putting this off for the past couple of months."

Any doubt that Peggy had in her mind vanished as he said those words. She kissed him again. Jason wrapped his arms around her and returned the kiss. Peggy untucked his t-shirt and pulled it over his head. Jason motioned for her to join him on the bed. She sat next to him and he helped her take off her shirt. Peggy pulled him into another kiss and they lay down. Jason moved on top of Peggy, never stopping their kiss, and unhooked her bra. Peggy took off her pants as Jason untied his shoes and kicked them off. Jason pulled her hair out of her usual ponytail and ran his fingers through it. He loved it when she wore her hair down but she rarely did because it was so long. Peggy unbuttoned the top button of his pants slowly.

"Peggy, promise me that if you want me to stop, you'll tell me." His hands met hers and undid the rest of the buttons. Peggy nodded silently. Her eyes were dark with lust and love as Jason peeled her underwear down before removing his own. He put on a condom and kissed Peggy again. "Are you sure about this?"

Peggy nodded again. "Just go slow at first." Jason kissed her neck and tentatively entered her. He could feel Peggy tense involuntarily and stopped.

"Do you want me to stop?" he asked quietly. Peggy shook her head. "Breathe," he said and kissed her again. He felt her muscles relax and pushed deeper into her.

Peggy couldn't help but take in a sharp breath that startled Jason. She really hated Caitlyn at that moment. She had always said how fantastic her first time was. How she and Nate just moved perfectly together and she saw stars and came four times. This was easily the most uncomfortable thing she had even done. This didn't feel good. It felt weird. Then something changed. Jason started to quicken his pace and the odd feeling Peggy had melted away. Her hands rested on his upper back and pulled him closer to her. Jason ran his fingers down the sides of her body and gripped her hips. He loved how wonderfully curvy she was. He thought that Caitlyn and Mitchie were pretty but there was just something about the curve of Peggy's hip that he loved that the other two didn't have.

Jason was amazed by how much better sex was when you loved the person you were with. If he thought that he loved her before this, he was head over heels in love with her now. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her deeply. She moaned into his mouth.

"Peggy, I love you," Jason panted. He was getting close.

"I love you, too, Jason," she said with a groan.

"Peggy, I'm cumming—"

"I am, too," she said as she felt warmth wash over her.

Jason came and tried to continue as long as he could until Peggy's orgasm diminished. He rested above her for a moment, just to look in her eyes. She pulled him into another kiss and he shifted off of her and settled beside her. He removed the condom and tossed it into the trashcan by his desk. They curled up next to each other and feel asleep in one another's arms with a smile on their faces.

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Please review and nominate! Thanks again guys!


	13. Chapter 13

Wow, I just cranked this one out in the last twenty minutes. It is incredibly short but I actually kind of like it. Please Review!

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Caitlyn and Nate spent the evening driving around Boston in her old Volvo station wagon, Peter. They made polite conversation for a while until Caitlyn pulled into a lot near a park.

"Nate, this is ridiculous." She put the car in park, got out and sat on a nearby picnic table.

"What's wrong?" he asked. He stood in front of her and shoved his hands deep in his pockets.

"Us. All we do is fight and fuck. Fight and fuck. Fight and fuck, Nate!" She was starting to get upset. "What are we doing?"

"I don't—"

"I still don't trust you, Nate. I'm sorry, but I don't."

"Jesus, Caitlyn, what do you want from me? I've apologized more times than I can count and I've done everything I can possibly think of to make you trust me!" He paced in front of her, not wanting to meet her gaze because he knew that she was close to crying and he hated it when she cried. "I love you, Caitlyn, but I'm at a loss as to what you want from me."

"Nate, I'm still hurt! I've only been with you and I was fine with the fact that you had been with girls before we got together. But you—" she sniffled, "—you sleeping with that other girl made me feel awful! I was convinced that it was my fault, I think I still think that it was my fault sometimes. And it wasn't even a one night stand, Nate. I could have understood one, drunken night but you were sleeping with her for over a month when I found out. How long would you have let it gone on before telling me or ending it? Why wasn't I enough?" Tears streamed down her cheeks, shining in the light of the road lamps.

Nate finally looked at her and saw how broken she was because of him. "Caitlyn," he said as he touched her face, making her look him in the eyes. "It wasn't your fault. It was mine. I was weak. I let it happen. I was going to tell you and end it but I didn't get the chance. I don't know why I let it happen." Her sad eyes made him begin to cry. "Maybe I should have called you more or spent more time with the guys instead of hanging out with the dancers or, God, I don't know, taken up making birdhouses like Jason did when Peggy left. I don't know why I did it. I'm angry with myself for not being able to control my self when Shane and Jason went three years without anyone because they were so preoccupied with Mitchie and Peggy. But I do know that I love you."

A bitterly cold wind swept past them, blowing loose snow in their faces. Caitlyn pulled her knit hat down over her ears. Her butt was cold and wet from the table. "Nate, let's get back in the car." She got back up but Nate grabbed her hand and pulled her to him.

He looked deep in her eyes and said, "I'm so sorry I hurt you, Caitlyn. I promise that I will never intentionally do anything that I know will hurt you again." He kissed her, his tongue probing her mouth. He could feel how sticky her cheeks were from her tears. They entwined their arms around the other.

"Let's go home," Caitlyn said, threading their fingers together. They got back in her car and drove home in a comfortable silence. They went to her apartment and climbed right into bed. They didn't have sex. They held each other and slept peacefully. And they began to fix what was broken.

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I don't have class tomorrow so I'm going to try to get two more chapters written.


	14. Chapter 14

WOOHOO! 768 hits yesterday! Most ever! So I reread my last couple of chapters and I realized that Jason has gotten really serious lately. I'm going to try to make him goofy again. Oh, and myuntoldfairy-tale, I like the fact that Disney finally cast a young actress that actually has some body fat. Let's be honest. There are more girls that look like Jasmine Richards than Miley or Demi or Selena.

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Shane and Mitchie woke up the next morning tangled up in the sheets and around one another. Her ring sparkled in the morning light, casting rainbows throughout the room. They laid next to each other in silence for a few minutes before Shane lightly kissed the tip of her nose. She smiled through half-closed eyes and snuggled closer to him.

"Mitch, we should get up." He stroked her soft, dark hair as he spoke.

"Don't wanna. I just want to stay in bed with you all day." She rested her head on his bare chest and yawned. "Plus, you know that the others will freak out when we tell them."

"Actually, the guys already know. They were there with me when I bought the ring. Jason was actually the one that found it." Shane chuckled. Jason had been so hilarious when he told them that he was going to ask Mitchie to marry him. He started dancing around the jewelry store and hugging random people that were there shopping.

"Well, remind me to tell Jason he has excellent taste in engagement rings," she said as she admired her ring. Shane got up and began to get dressed.

"Come on, Lazy Bones, we have to call our parents. And I'm hungry. I think there are still cinnamon rolls upstairs."

Mitchie grumbled and went into the bathroom to shower. When she finished and had dried off, she saw that Shane fell back asleep on the bed. She smirked at him. She loved how he looked when he slept, like a little boy. She turned her back to him and pulled a clean pair of underwear out of a drawer.

"This is the best view." She turned and saw Shane lying on his side like a centerfold model and grinning lasciviously at her.

"Perv." She continued to dress and they went upstairs for breakfast.

They walked in to find Peggy and Jason standing in the kitchen sipping their coffee. She was wearing one of Jason's button-down shirts and her underwear and he was just in his boxers.

"Um, hi." Peggy's eyes widened and she blushed in embarrassment before running back to Jason's room. Jason gave them a broad grin before following his girlfriend.

Shane chuckled and looked in the cabinet for the Tupperware of cinnamon buns. He placed two on a plate and put it in the microwave.

"What do you want to do today?" he asked Mitchie as she poured them each a glass of milk.

"I need to get to work on my stuff for Composition. I've been putting it off. I haven't been very inspired lately."

She sat at the counter and Shane sat next to her, setting the plate between them. "Why not?"

"I've been happy. I have a hard time writing when I'm happy. I need more angst in my life to get anything written."

"Well, if you want, I can stop being such a good boyfriend—"

"Fiancé."

"—Fiancé, and go out of my way to screw up."

Mitchie laughed. "No, that's okay. I'll just have to work harder to write through my happiness."

Jason and Peggy returned to the kitchen, this time fully clothed. Jason had to practically pull Peggy into the room she was still so embarrassed.

"Peggy, relax," Shane said. "This isn't nearly as embarrassing as when Nate and Jason fell drunkenly through my door when we were naked and about to have sex. We just saw you guys in your underwear."

Peggy glared are Jason. "You've seen Mitchie naked?"

Jason shot Shane as evil a look as he was capable, which wasn't that evil at all.

Mitchie laughed and said, "For, like, half a second and I was mostly under the covers. I think the most he saw was my left leg and arm." She couldn't help herself. "Shane, however, was—"

"Don't you dare!" he shouted and silenced her with a kiss.

"Oh, my God!" Peggy shouted, pointing at Mitchie's left hand that rested on Shane's neck. "You guys are getting married?!"

Mitchie grinned at her friend and nodded.

"Aw… you guys!" Jason cried. "Group hug!" He pulled them all into a gigantic bear hug until Shane smacked him upside the head to let them go.

Mitchie giggled again and pulled her phone out of her pocket. "I gotta call my parents and tell them." She pressed '3' on speed dial and heard her parents' phone ring on the other side of the country. She went to Shane's room for privacy, away from the noise of Jason celebrating.

"Hello?" her mom said.

"Hi, Mom!"

"Mitchie, what's wrong, we talked yesterday." Mitchie could hear the agitation in her mother's voice.

"Nothing's wrong, Mom. Everything's great, actually. Really great."

"Well, good. What did you and Shane do for Christmas?"

"We got the girls moved in and…" she drifted off, nervous to break the news. "He asked me to marry him and I said yes." All Mitchie heard was a loud crash and her mom fumbling with the phone. "Mom? Mom? Are you there?"

"Yeah, honey, I'm sorry, but did you just say that Shane asked you to marry him?"

"Yes. And I said yes."

"Mitchie, are you pregnant?"

"No, Mom, I'm not pregnant."

Then Connie Torres got excited. "Oh, Sweetie, this is so exciting!"

"Mom? Could you tell Dad? I'm just worried he'd freak out and… well… I like having Shane alive." She heard her mother chuckled on the other end.

"I will. We'll call you tomorrow. Give my love to Shane and others!"

Mitchie shut her phone and went back to the kitchen. Caitlyn and Nate were there now, as well. She was instantly pulled into another group hug by Jason and Caitlyn.

"So, have you guys picked a date yet?" Caitlyn asked. Mitchie didn't know why, but she looked much happier than she had been in months.

"Cait, we got engaged last night. We haven't even talked about it yet," Shane told her.

"Well, why type of wedding do you want?" Peggy asked.

"I don't know. I really haven't thought about it," Mitchie said. They all stared at her in disbelief. "What?"

"You haven't been planning your wedding since you were, like, six?" Nate asked.

"Um, no." They all still stared at her. "What? I was more interested in the new Madonna video than some big poufy dress that I wouldn't wear until more than a dozen years later."

"We're going wedding dress shopping." Caitlyn and Peggy looped their arms through Mitchie's and dragged her out the door and down to their apartment. Peggy took a quick shower and they got their coats before heading out in Caitlyn's Volvo.

"Guys, isn't it a little soon to be looking at wedding dresses?" Mitchie said from the back seat.

"It's never too soon." Peggy called 411 for bridal shops that were open and relayed the directions to Caitlyn.

They soon pulled into the parking lot of a store and climbed out of the car. Peggy and Caitlyn had to practically drag Mitchie inside. There were dozens of women protectively clutching multiple white dresses milling about the store. Mitchie had no idea of where to start.

"Good morning, can I help you?" a snooty voice said. A lady came out of one of the aisles lined with wedding dresses and looked coldly at them. She was dressed all in black and her bright red hair was pulled back in a severe bun.

"Yes, our friend here just got engaged and would like to look at wedding dresses," Caitlyn said, nudging Mitchie forward as she spoke.

The saleswoman, whose nametag read "Greta", cast a disapproving eye up and down Mitchie's frame. "When is the wedding?"

"We haven't decided yet. We just got engaged yesterday."

"A Christmas engagement. How original." She turned on her heel and walked back up the aisle she had just come from. "Follow me, please." They raced after her, careful not to touch anything. "Now, how do you want to look on the day?"

"Like my self, just more elegant and grown up. Simple, but classic." Mitchie was surprised as the words left her mouth. She really hadn't thought about it, but she knew that that was how she wanted to look.

"Lace?" Greta asked as she began to look at the dresses hanging.

"Maybe, it depends on the rest of the dress." Again, Mitchie surprised herself.

"White or Ivory or Champagne?"

"Not white. I look awful in stark white." Greta nodded and began to pull dresses off the rack. "Don't you need to know what size I am?"

"I can tell. Do you wear empire waists?"

"Yes, almost always." Greta nodded again and pulled another dress. She now had six dresses over her arm and walked away. They followed her as quickly as they could. She had led them to the dressing rooms.

"We'll start with these just to get an idea of silhouette and color and proceed from there." Peggy and Caitlyn sat down on a padded bench facing a mirror as Greta ushered Mitchie into a small room and instructed her to undress. Mitchie did as she was told but was very uncomfortable. She stepped into the first dress and Greta zipped it up. It was a soft ivory color with a fitted bodice and full skirt and lots of little rosettes scattered over the hem. Before Mitchie could say anything, Greta said, "No, not right. Lovely color though," and unzipped her.

The next dress was white and had spaghetti straps and had asymmetrical beading. It was a slimmer shape and was very pretty on her.

"Not quite, but go show your friends." Greta opened the door and Mitchie came through and stepped on the little platform in front of the mirror.

Caitlyn and Peggy agreed that it was almost right and sent Mitchie back in to change.

The next dress Mitchie was in love with the second Greta zipped her into it. It was ivory, life the first dress, strapless and had a loose, voluminous skirt that wasn't overwhelming. It had an empire waist with lots of tiny pleating at the bust and just below a thin ribbon at the waist seem.

"Oh, my." Greta said when she looked at her. She opened the door for Mitchie and she once again stood on the platform in front of her friends.

"Oh. My. God." Peggy and Caitlyn said together. They went to stand next to her.

"Mitch, how do you feel?" Peggy asked her quietly.

Mitchie couldn't help but get choked up as she looked at herself in the mirror. "Like a bride."

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Sorry it took so long for me to get this written. Unfortunately, I have to move for 2 weeks so my apartment can be renovated and I'm in the middle of packing. Argh.

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Mitchie's dress: /spring2008/bridal/jasmine/j2727/j2727images/j2727.jpg


	15. Chapter 15

Mitchie didn't want to tell Shane just yet that she had already bought her dress. Oh, yes. Mitchie bought the dress. She called her mom from the bridal store and sent her a picture of her in the dress and got permission to put it on the emergency credit card. Somehow, having the dress made it seem real and feel like it was going to happen sooner rather than later.

That afternoon, she smuggled the dress up to her apartment and hid it in the back of her closet, behind her performance dress and her raincoat.

"Okay, guys, if Shane asks, I tried on a couple dresses but didn't buy anything."

"Why?" Peggy asked. She was unpacking her DVDs and adding them to Mitchie's library in the living room.

"Because we haven't even discussed when we want to get married or anything like that yet. I don't want him to freak out."

"Mitch, he asked you to marry him. He'll be fine. This is Shane we're talking about." Caitlyn was lounging on the couch eating popcorn, watching Peggy work.

"Yeah, Cait's right. I'm surprised he didn't try to convince you to run down to Atlantic City and get hitched this morning."

"I know, but—" Mitchie started but she was cut off by Shane bursting through that door.

"Your dad wants to kill me."

"What?" Mitchie asked. Shane was sweating profusely and was out of breath.

"He called me while you were gone and accused me of taking advantage of you. He also said that he should never have let you go to school so far away from home and that he isn't going to have anything to do with the wedding and that he won't walk you down the aisle. And, if I ever make you so much as tear up, he will chop my balls off and hang them as a trophy over the fireplace."

"Good thing my parents don't have a fireplace."

"Mitchie, I'm serious! He was pissed!" Shane collapsed on the couch, ignoring Caitlyn's feet underneath him.

"Of course he was pissed, Shane!" He looked at her, shocked that she wasn't on his side. She knelt in front of him, between his knees. "Imagine that twenty to twenty-five years from now our twenty year old daughter calls us to say that she's getting married to some guy you've only met once and it was three years ago and she's only been with him for four months. And you are practically certain that said guy is sleeping with said daughter."

Shane nodded. "Okay, I think I'm starting to understand. Just so you know, our daughters won't be allowed to date until they're twenty-five." Mitchie laughed and kissed his forehead. "How was dress shopping?"

"It was good, I guess." She averted her eyes so he couldn't see her excitement about the dress.

"Your mom told me you bought one." She looked at him in shocked. He was smiling broadly at her. Peggy and Caitlyn burst out laughing. "Mitchie, if you found your dress, you were right to go ahead and buy it."

"When do you want to get married?" she asked.

"Honestly?"

"Honestly."

"I want to marry you as soon as humanly possible." He pulled Mitchie into his lap and Peggy and Caitlyn got the hint to go away and went into Peggy's room. "I would marry you tonight if I could. I just want us to start our lives together."

Mitchie sat in silence for a second. "What about Spring Break?"

"That's, what, the middle of March?"

"Yeah, we could go somewhere warm for break with the others and have our parents meet us there, provided my dad has calmed down and no longer wants to kill you, and get married."

"I like the sound of that."

"What did your parents say when you told them?" she asked. She had only met Shane's parents once but she really liked them. He was an only child, too.

"My mom cried, said she was so happy that I found my soul mate. Dad just said that he was proud of me." He was blushing a lot and Mitchie couldn't help but smile.

"Aww…"

"Shut up," he said and kissed her again.

"I need to do my Composition work and so do you," Mitchie reminded him. Shane groaned and let her get off of his lap before he stood up to leave.

"Dinner at 7:30, as usual?" he asked as he turned to leave.

"Of course." Shane left and Mitchie went to her room and grabbed her guitar and song book and began to write.

Upstairs, Jason was literally bouncing off the walls because of the fact that he had sex for the first time in three years and Peggy loved him back. He was really starting to get on Nate's nerves, though. Shane came in just in time to keep Nate from strangling their band mate.

"We set a date."

"When?" Nate asked.

"Spring break. We're all going to go somewhere together and Mitchie and I will get married. She bought a dress."

"Already?" Jason asked, flopping onto the floor.

"Yeah, apparently."

"Nervous?" Nate asked.

"It's weird, but no, I'm not." He went to his room and got a notebook and his guitar. "For some reason, ever since I met Mitchie, I think I've known that we were going to end up together. It's just… I can't imagine being with anyone else. You know how when you were young and you would think about what life would be like when you grew up and got married?" Nate and Jason nodded thoughtfully. "I never saw my wife's face until I met Mitchie. It was always clouded over or covered with something. Now… God, I think about it and I not only see her face, but the faces of our children."

The other guys went into their rooms and got their guitars and notebooks and they each began to work on a piece for Composition.

Two weeks later, classes started back up and Peggy and Caitlyn began their classes at Berklee. They were just as bored in Music Theory as everyone, but for Jason. Caitlyn then went to the sound lab for a tutorial and the others went to Composition.

Their teacher said that everyone was going to play one of their new songs and they would receive a critique at the end of class. To everyone's surprise, Jason raised his hand to go first. He went up to the front of the class and sat facing them. Jason rarely sang; he wasn't comfortable with it for some reason so he normally would ask someone else to sing the lyrics for him. But today, with Peggy smiling at him, he sang on his own the song he wrote when he realized that he loved her.

_If the heart is always searching_

_Can you ever find a home?_

_I've been looking for that someone,_

_I'll never make it on my own_

_Dreams can't take the place of loving you_

_There's gotta be a million reasons why it's true_

_When you look me in the eyes_

_And tell me that you love me_

_Everything's alright,_

_When you're right here by my side_

_When you look me in the eyes_

_I catch a glimpse of heaven_

_I find my paradise_

_When you look me in the eyes_

_How long will I be waiting_

_To be with you again_

_Gonna tell you that I love you_

_In the best way that I can_

_I can't take a day without you here_

_You're the light that makes my darkness disappear_

_When you look me in the eyes_

_And tell me that you love me_

_Everything's alright_

_When you're right here by my side_

_When you look me in the eyes_

_I catch a glimpse of heaven_

_I find my paradise_

_When you look me in the eyes_

_More and more, I start to realize_

_I can reach my tomorrow_

_I can hold my head up high_

_And it's all because you're by my side._

_When you look me in the eyes_

_And tell me that you love me_

_Everything's alright_

_When you're right here by my side_

_When I hold you in my arms_

_I know that it's forever_

_I just gotta let you know_

_I never wanna let you go_

_When you look me in the eyes_

_And tell me that you love me_

_Everything's alright_

_When you're right here by my side_

_When you look me in the eyes_

_I catch a glimpse of heaven_

_I find my paradise_

_When you look me in the eyes_

_Oh_

Jason blushed as he finished. No one made any noise; they all just stared at him, flabbergasted.

"It's not done yet, I think I might redo the chorus," he said shyly, embarrassed because he thought that no one liked it but really, they were all overwhelmed by how amazing and honest his song was. Peggy had to remind herself to breathe. Even their teacher, Chuck, who had been very vocal about not liking anything Jason had written so far in his class, was in shock because of his song.

"Jason, it's perfect. Don't change anything," Chuck told him. Jason gave a halfhearted smile and went back to his seat.

Shane silently took his place and played his song, knowing that it didn't even begin to compare to Jason's song.

_There she goes again_

_The girl I'm in love with_

_It's cool we're just friends_

_We walk the halls at school_

_We know it's casual_

_It's cool we're just_

_I don't want to lead you on_

_No_

_But the truth is I've grown fond_

_Yea_

_Everyone knows it's meant to be_

_Falling in love, just you and me_

'_Til the end of time_

'_Til I'm on her mind_

_It'll happen_

_I've been making lots of plans_

_Like a picket fence and a rose garden_

_I just keep on dreaming_

_But it's cool cause we're just friends_

_Small talk on IM_

_Just one word sentences_

_It's cool we're just friends_

_If I had my way_

_We'd talk and talk all day_

_Yeah_

_Everyone knows it's meant to be_

_Falling in love, just you and me_

'_Til the end of time_

'_Til I'm on her mind_

_It'll happen_

_I've been making lots of plans_

_Like a picket fence and a rose garden_

_I just keep on dreaming_

_But it's cool cause we're just friends_

_Thinking about how_

_We're gonna say our vows_

_It's cool we're just friends_

_She walks down the aisle_

_I see all my friends smile_

_Cause now we're more than friends_

_Everyone knows it's meant to be_

_Falling in love, just you and me_

'_Til the end of time_

'_Til I'm on her mind_

_It'll happen_

_We've been making lots of plans_

_Like a picket fence and rose garden_

_I'll just keep on dreaming_

_Just keep on thinking of when we used to be just friends_

_La, la, la, la_

_La, la, la, la_

_La, la, la, la, la_

_When we used to be (When we used to be)_

_La, la, la, la_

_La, la, la, la (Just friends)_

_La, la, la, la, la_

_When we used to be just friends_

Shane got some applause and smiles all around. He knew that his was nothing in comparison to Jason's song but he thought it was fun and expressed his relationship with Mitchie in a good way and he was so proud of Jason that he really didn't care.


	16. Chapter 16

I have been without internet for the past few weeks. Sorry, but there was no avoiding it. However, I have a couple new chapters so PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE forgive me!

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Caitlyn and Nate were finally getting along after their talk on Christmas. Caitlyn was much happier until around the end of January, about the same time that Shane and Mitchie decided to get married in Key West, when she started acting weird again.

She was short with everyone, not just Nate. She snapped at all of them for the tiniest things. At first, Mitchie and Peggy just wrote it off as PMS but they soon became worried about her because she was beginning to withdraw from the rest of the group. At first they were concerned that she wasn't doing well in her classes but it was soon spreading around that she was the most talent producer in the school.

It didn't make any sense at all to them until one evening when Peggy and Mitchie were sitting in their living room working on their latest pieces for Composition. Caitlyn opened the door to her room and poked her head out.

"Guys, can you come in here, please?" Peggy and Mitchie set their guitars down and went into Caitlyn's room. She never said "please" unless it was really important to her. On her bed was a home pregnancy test in a box.

"Caitlyn?" Mitchie asked incredulously.

Caitlyn picked up the test box and stared at it as she spoke. "I… I skipped a period. That never happens to me. Even when I'm stressed or sick or busy. That never happens. I… I think that I'm—"

"I thought you guys were careful?" Peggy asked, cutting her off. Caitlyn sat on her bed and they went to each side of her.

"We were—are. It was just this one time a couple weeks before the move. We had been fighting and the next thing I knew we were having sex against the sink in his bathroom. We were so caught up in the moment, we didn't use anything." They could hear her voice crack as she spoke.

"Aren't you on the pill?" Mitchie asked. She herself had gone on the pill months ago but she and Shane still used condoms just to be sure. They agreed that once they were married she would remain on the pill until after they graduated but they wouldn't use condoms anymore.

"Yeah, but I forgot to pick up my prescription the day before." She sniffled and stood up. "I'll, um, I'll be right back. I need to take this. I've been trying to get up the guts for the past week." She left the room and they heard the bathroom door close.

"Jesus," Peggy said, holding her head in her hands. "Nate's going to flip when he finds out."

"Do you think so?"

"Um, yeah! God, they just started getting along again. This is just going to fuck it all up. And Caitlyn isn't going to be able to take care of a baby!"

"I need to lie down. I can't process this." Peggy lay next to her and they stared at the posters of bands from the 1980s Caitlyn had tacked to her ceiling.

"Man, their hair was awful back then. No wonder there's a hole in the ozone layer." Mitchie stretched and yawned.

"What do you mean?"

"All that hairspray." Peggy couldn't help but giggle.

Caitlyn came back in holding the box in one hand and the test in the other. "I need to wait five minutes and then I should know." Peggy took the test from her and set in on the table by her bed. "What'd you do that for?"

"Staring at it isn't going to make time go faster."

Caitlyn sat nervously on the edge of the bed. "What am I going to tell Nate?"

"Let's wait until we know for sure before you decide that." The three girls sat in silence, each staring at the Felix the Cat clock on the wall until five minutes had passed.

"One of you guys check it, I'm too nervous," Caitlyn said as she got up and began to pace the room. Peggy picked up the box and compared it to the test.

"It's negative, Cait." They all breathed out a sigh of relief and collapsed against one another on the bed.

"Thank God for that," Caitlyn said, but Mitchie could have sworn that she heard a little bit of disappointment in her voice. "I don't know what I would have done if I were pregnant."

"Are you going to tell Nate?" Peggy asked.

"I… I don't know. I don't think so. It's just that things have been so great lately and I don't want to ruin it." Caitlyn stood and threw the test in the trash along with the box. "I want to put this behind me and act like it never happened." Mitchie sat in silence, listening to Caitlyn swear up and down that it was for the best but not believing it for a second. "I think I'm going to go to bed."

Peggy and Mitchie left Caitlyn's room. Neither knew what to say about what just happened. They each went to their own room. Mitchie sat cross-legged on her bed, staring off into space, just thinking. It didn't make sense that Caitlyn seemed to want the nonexistent baby. Maybe she had become so used to the idea before she knew for sure that she had begun to love the idea of a baby with Nate. She could understand Caitlyn wanting to have Nate's baby because she knew that she wanted to have Shane's. But she definitely knew that she wasn't ready to be a mom.

"You want to what?" Shane was dumbfounded. Mitchie stood in front of him as he reclined on his bed about an hour after she had left Caitlyn's room.

"I want to wait to have sex again until we're married." She placed her hands on her hips, daring him to question her.

He dared. "Um, why?"

"Let's just say that I've realized that I'm not ready for the repercussions that come from having sex and I want us to not have sex for a month and a half."

"What brought about this revelation?" He massaged his face, unable to even fathom going six weeks without being with Mitchie.

"Caitlyn thought she was pregnant."

"What!?" Shane bolted upright. "Caitlyn's pregnant?"

"Shh!" Mitchie glanced at the door. Nate had been in the living room when she came in. "No, she thought that she was but she isn't. Nate doesn't know though. I don't know if she plans on telling him."

"How can she not tell him?"

"I guess she figures that if she's not pregnant, she has no reason to tell him." Mitchie sat next to him and rested her head against his shoulder.

"So what does that have to do with us?"

"Shane, that fear and worry seems so unnecessary to me. It's only six weeks and then we can have as much sex as we want."

"Mitchie." He sat up and pulled her into his lap. "If this is what you want, then I'll do it. But I make no guarantee about how patient I'll be with you and the others until then."

Mitchie giggled and kissed his nose before she placed a line of kisses along his jaw line. "I never said that we could do other things…"

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Evil Laugh Sorry, kids, but no smut until the wedding night! I might throw in some Jeggy or Naitlyn but no Smitchie until further notice.


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